CHINO VALLEY — In the twilight of his coaching career, Brian Cole has found himself a new challenge.

Cortez football, only four years removed from a 50-game losing streak, has struggled for much of its history. The program hasn’t been to a state championship game before, although there are a handful of winning seasons to speak of.

The Colts had some recent success thanks to a move down to the 2A conference from 4A, going 7-3 in 2023 and 6-4 in 2022, when they stopped that 50-game losing streak. But in 2025, they took another step back, going 3-7 under Daniel Hopper, who stepped down after five years on the job.

Enter Cole, who now comes full circle with the program he started with as an assistant coach in 1992.

“It’s been awesome to come back. … I decided, why not end my coaching career where I started. So, I’m planning on being here until I decide not to coach anymore,” Cole said Friday night before his team’s matchup at Chino Valley.

“Things have been great. The kids have been great. They bought into what we are selling. So far so good. We have improved every week, and I hope it keeps getting better,” he added.

Cole has won three state championships in his 21-year coaching career, the first at North Canyon in 2005, and two more with Joy Christian in 2012 and 2015. The first came while Joy Christian played in the 1A conference, eight-man football, then Cole led them to a title again in the 2A conference in 2015.

Later, he led Phoenix Christian to success and eventually took over a Sandra Day O’Connor program that he departed from in 2024.

He spent last season under coach Jason Jewell at Brophy Prep. as an assistant until he landed the Cortez job where it all started.

When asked how the players have responded so far to his presence, he was pleased.

“We had a good turnout for spring ball, and in the weight room. It was consistent over the summer, I had 35-40 guys in there every day,” Cole said. “We need to get the numbers up more and more. We don’t have a JV, we don’t have a freshman [team]. When I was here before, we had all of that. We’re taking baby steps, but so far so good.”

After a 36-34 loss to Chino Valley that went down to game-winning field goal in the final seconds, Cortez now stands at 2-2 this season and 0-1 in the 2A Metro 3 region.

Despite the defeat, Cole’s expectations remain the same…get better every week.

“We just want to get the kids out and teach them football. The expectations were, if you show up and put the work in, you’re going to get better. It’s baby steps. If we can get better every week, that is the expectation,” Cole said, adding that the fan base and administration have been very supportive in his first year.

“They were excited last week when we beat Washington for the first time in 20 years. The principal, the athletic director, they are so supportive. It’s a great administration,” Cole said. “So, we have the support we need. Now, it’s just getting the kids to come out.”

Cole thinks the program can make the playoffs for the first time since 2005 if they finish 7-3, or potentially 6-4.

“To make the playoffs would be huge for this program,” Cole said, adding the formula to that success isn’t any different than any other year he’s coached.

“Kids want to be coached and they want to learn. That’s why they are out here,” Cole said. “I’ve coached 1A to 6A, all levels, and football is football, and the kids want to learn football so that’s what we’re doing.”

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.