AIA tagline Zach Wargo is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Phoenix Christian football for AZPreps365.com.

First-year head coach Dan Fort guided his team to a 3A Metro West region title and led Phoenix Christian into the postseason that featured a six-game winning streak to finish the regular season. Fort also serves as the school's athletic director and loves the time he spends coaching football and guiding students to be successful. 

Fort has been coaching since 1997 and has several memories as he got into coaching by being inherited into a staff that involved a former NFL player and two former college coaches when he began. Fort enjoyed playing baseball for most of his life, but he gravitated toward football after realizing it fit his personality more. 

Throughout his career, Fort has strived to teach his players how to turn into successful adults after they graduate. Being a coach has given Fort the privilege to teach his athletes life lessons Every year, Fort has a purpose to keep coaching and inspire his next team to make the community a safer place. 

“I think that it is the ultimate team sport more so than anything else. The life lessons you can learn are second to none.” said Fort, “In 20 years, I want to have relationships with these guys and see them become husbands, fathers, and community leaders, and then that’s when I’ll know I made an impact on them.”  

Senior wide receiver Isaiah Parris has been with the football program and sees the dedication and growth Fort has inspired in the players. Parris has noticed he’s less selfish throughout this season and has noticed the entire team being committed to what Fort has brought.

“He has helped bring the team together. We might not like what he does for us activity-wise, but he has brought us together by helping us respect one another way more, compared to when the season began,” Parris said. 

Parris has taken in every bit of information that Fort has given to him this season. Fort has helped Parris improve his communication skills throughout the season by benching him during some games to help develop Parris’s relationship with his teammates. 

As athletic director, Fort oversees all sports at the private school.  works closely with Ben Stryczek, who is in his first year as the assistant athletic director and is going into his second year as the boys basketball coach. 

Stryczek is thankful that he continues to learn how to be a better father, co-worker, and coach from his colleague.

“He has pretty much made every aspect of coaching easier for me; he has helped me with jerseys, equipment, scheduling, but even more than that, he helps me with life lessons, quoting scripture, and how to be a better man,” Stryczek said. 

Fort strives to be a better coach for himself and for his team to provide an example for the future of Phoenix Christian. The satisfaction he gets from coaching football comes from being able to make every one of his players better each day.

Phoenix Christian’s football team finished the season 7-3 and was undefeated in regional play, sweeping the 3A Metro West region to a perfect 5-0 record in his first season at the school.