Five weeks ago it was business as usual for Campo Verde football coach Max Ragsdale. COVID-19 was beginning to weave its way into life, but not to the extent schools were closed in the state. Ragsdale was performing the normal things for him at that time - teacher by day and prepping after school with assistants for offseason football.

Then as spring break began in the Gilbert district on March 9, an opportunity opened up Ragsdale couldn't let pass.

Current Campo Verde athletic director Renee Regoli signaled her attention to step down as Coyotes' athletic director at year's end. Ragsdale, the only football coach the school has employed since it opened in 2009, was ready to take the administration leap. One he's been certified to perform since... well a long time ago.

"I got my principal's certificate in 01 (2001)," Ragsdale said. "I still wasn't thinking about administration a month ago. I was ready to keep teaching and coaching. But the opportunity to be an assistant principal, be athletic director at Campo Verde. That was something I had to go after."

Ragsdale, who has coached for 22 years, 15 of that as head coach at Apache Junction and Campo Verde, interviewed for Campo's AD's job on March 27. He was selected for the position April 3. He Informed the football team that same afternoon he was stepping away. And four days later school board approval made it official. A whirlwind month to be sure. And the whirlwind continues.

Ragsdale is wearing a variety of hats on a daily basis, at least in the short term. His day begins checking emails. Then turning to his Google classroom to convey social studies assignments and offer words of wisdom to students. Some days there is time spent in PLC (professional learning community) meetings. And at times a virtual IEP meeting involving special education students in his classes. With no new football coach hired as yet, he still oversees football conducting offensive meetings via HUDL and then more time for a full team meeting. He also is involved in the hiring of coaches in baseball and football along with Regoli and principal Krista Cox, who have allowed him to get his feet wet in the job.

 "A lot of things have happened very quickly," Ragsdale said. "Some days are longer than others. (Wednesday) I started around 7:30 a.m. in my kitchen with coffee and reading emails. The day ended about 11:30 p.m. sending out emails setting up interviews for baseball."

Notre Dame Prep athletic director Mark Cisterna knows all about Ragsdale and is his biggest advocate. Coach C, as Ragsdale refers to Cisterna, considers Ragsdale a second son. Family. Ragsdale grew up in Apache Junction in the mid-80s when Cisterna was coaching baseball and football at Apache Junction

Ragsdale played football and baseball at Apache Junction. Cisterna as a former AD at the district level in Gilbert, didn't hesitate in offering Ragsdale a shot at coaching in the Gilbert district when an opportunity arose. He knows Ragsdale is ready for his new post when it kicks in fulltime this summer.

"I've known Max for 40-plus years," Cisterna said. "He was this little red-headed kid in grade school who was a ball boy at AJ in football and bat boy in baseball....

"He and I sat and talked at a Notre Dame baseball game in March about him putting in for the AD job. He and his wife asked a lot of questions. I know he wanted to coach first and foremost in his career. He's done that. A lot of kids he's taught and coached are better having had him in their lives. He can have an impact as AD, too."

Ragsdale enjoyed his most successful season in his decade-long tenure at Campo Verde this past season in terms of wins (10) and final outcome with the Coyotes reaching the 5A championship game and a runner-up finish to Williams Field. The taste of a deep playoff run made it all the tougher to curtail his coaching days.

"It was a hard decision," Ragsdale said. "Spent a lot of time weighing the situation. Campo Verde is a special place. We've had two great AD's with Eric Vasquez and Renee. If I was going to go into an AD position, Campo is the place to do it."