Below is an article about Jeff's little brother...which makes him my big brother...by 5 months anyway. We are very proud of him!!
Coach plans to build winning tradition at Liberty
August 1, 2008 - 7:23PM
RICH BOLAS
Today Staff
Dan Filleman has always been good at building things.
Whether it's constructing homes or teaching industrial arts, the Litchfield Park resident has always known how to put things together.
Those creative skills should help Filleman with his latest project, set to be unveiled on Aug. 29.
That's the night Filleman and the Liberty High School football program make their varsity debut with a 7 p.m. home game against Seton Catholic.
"I probably shouldn't say this, but it's been an easy transition," said the 33-year-old Filleman, who spent nine years as an Ironwood assistant before taking the position at Liberty. "A lot of my assistants came with me from Ironwood, and they make the job fun.
"Sometimes, I think we have more fun coaching than the kids do playing."
Much has changed on the Liberty campus since the school opened in 2006.
During that first year, Filleman's team didn't have a locker room or practice field on campus, which meant training sessions had to be moved to nearby Parkridge Elementary School.
"That was the biggest challenge for us that first year," Filleman said. "Occasionally, you would see a kid, dressed in pads and helmet, riding his bike to our practices at Parkridge."
Filleman could relate easily to the players during the growing pains that first year.
As a student, he was part of the first graduating class at Sinagua High School in Flagstaff.
Filleman stayed at home for college, playing wide receiver in football and right wing for the club hockey team at Northern Arizona University.
That's also where Filleman decided to become a high school football coach, switching his major from business administration to education.
Upon graduation, Filleman landed his first assistant coaching job with Chuck Esquivel at Ironwood.
Filleman spent three years as Ironwood's running backs coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator.
The Maryland native displayed a willingness to make tough decisions that first season as offensive coordinator. He turned heads when he gave the starting job as quarterback to an unheralded sophomore, Jason Murrietta, who outplayed a senior in preseason drills.
"I took some heat for starting him, but it worked out all right," Filleman said with a smile.
Murrietta thrived in Filleman's spread offense, which featured multiple-receiver sets and opened lanes for Ironwood's running and passing game.
Murrietta guided Ironwood to the 2002 Class 5A title game before going on to a stellar career at Northern Arizona University.
Filleman's coaching prowess caught the attention of Rick Johnson, the Liberty athletic director and long-time Peoria district administrator.
"One of the persons I talked to when I was considering hiring Danny was Steve Axman, who coached at NAU and worked at the pro level with such quarterbacks as (Hall of Fame quarterback) Troy Aikman," Johnson said. "He told me the best decision I could make was hiring Danny.
"That's a pretty good recommendation."
Liberty will run the same spread offense Filleman featured at Ironwood.
However, with no senior class, Filleman will have fewer players at his disposal.
Liberty will feature many two-way players on its 35-player roster, a marked contrast from the 60-player squads at Ironwood.
"The good news is we have a lot of talented players," Filleman said. "We just came back from a camp in California, and halfway through, it dawned on me that all of these kids will be coming back for another year at Liberty. That's quality on and off the field."
Liberty will play an independent schedule in its first season, avoiding the likes of Peoria and Cactus while dipping their toes in the varsity football waters.
The Lions will play several schools also in their first varsity seasons, including Perry, Verrado, Williams Field and Gila Ridge. Also featured on the schedule will be more established schools such as Apollo and Mohave.
Filleman has already established success with the Liberty freshmen and junior varsity programs.
The JV team went 7-1 last season while the freshman squad went 5-3 in 2007.
All that's left is success on the varsity level.
That will be just a matter of time, according to the Liberty athletic director.
"I compare Dan favorably to another rookie coach I hired in 1986," Johnson said in reference to Doug Clapp at Peoria.
Under Clapp's tutelage, the Panthers have won three state titles and been a perennial football powerhouse in Arizona.
Johnson said he envisions that same kind of success for Filleman.
"A lot of people questioned me when I hired Doug," Johnson said. "Now, he's a living legend as a coach.
"Twenty years from now, we could be saying that same thing about Dan Filleman."
DAN FILLEMAN AT A GLANCE
AGE: 33
HIGH SCHOOL: Sinagua in Flagstaff
COLLEGE: Northern Arizona University education major who played receiver in football and right wing for club hockey team
COACHING EXPERIENCE: Spent nine years as an assistant at Ironwood High School, spending first three seasons as running backs coach and last six years as offensive coordinator
FAMILY: Wife Caitlin is an assistant principal at Ironwood High School; the couple have one child, Jace, who turns 2 in October, and are expecting second child in Janurary
RESIDENCE: Litchfield Park
LIBERTY
HEAD COACH: Dan Filleman
TEAM COLORS: Red and black
NICKNAME: Lions
REGION: 4A Division 1 West Valley (Liberty will play an independent schedule in football)
2007 RECORD: First varsity season (JV team went 7-1 last year)
SCHOOL ADDRESS: 9621 W. Speckled Gecko Drive, Peoria (nearest cross streets are 95th Avenue and Deer Valley Road)
August 1, 2008 - 7:23PM
RICH BOLAS
Today Staff
Dan Filleman has always been good at building things.
Whether it's constructing homes or teaching industrial arts, the Litchfield Park resident has always known how to put things together.
Those creative skills should help Filleman with his latest project, set to be unveiled on Aug. 29.
That's the night Filleman and the Liberty High School football program make their varsity debut with a 7 p.m. home game against Seton Catholic.
"I probably shouldn't say this, but it's been an easy transition," said the 33-year-old Filleman, who spent nine years as an Ironwood assistant before taking the position at Liberty. "A lot of my assistants came with me from Ironwood, and they make the job fun.
"Sometimes, I think we have more fun coaching than the kids do playing."
Much has changed on the Liberty campus since the school opened in 2006.
During that first year, Filleman's team didn't have a locker room or practice field on campus, which meant training sessions had to be moved to nearby Parkridge Elementary School.
"That was the biggest challenge for us that first year," Filleman said. "Occasionally, you would see a kid, dressed in pads and helmet, riding his bike to our practices at Parkridge."
Filleman could relate easily to the players during the growing pains that first year.
As a student, he was part of the first graduating class at Sinagua High School in Flagstaff.
Filleman stayed at home for college, playing wide receiver in football and right wing for the club hockey team at Northern Arizona University.
That's also where Filleman decided to become a high school football coach, switching his major from business administration to education.
Upon graduation, Filleman landed his first assistant coaching job with Chuck Esquivel at Ironwood.
Filleman spent three years as Ironwood's running backs coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator.
The Maryland native displayed a willingness to make tough decisions that first season as offensive coordinator. He turned heads when he gave the starting job as quarterback to an unheralded sophomore, Jason Murrietta, who outplayed a senior in preseason drills.
"I took some heat for starting him, but it worked out all right," Filleman said with a smile.
Murrietta thrived in Filleman's spread offense, which featured multiple-receiver sets and opened lanes for Ironwood's running and passing game.
Murrietta guided Ironwood to the 2002 Class 5A title game before going on to a stellar career at Northern Arizona University.
Filleman's coaching prowess caught the attention of Rick Johnson, the Liberty athletic director and long-time Peoria district administrator.
"One of the persons I talked to when I was considering hiring Danny was Steve Axman, who coached at NAU and worked at the pro level with such quarterbacks as (Hall of Fame quarterback) Troy Aikman," Johnson said. "He told me the best decision I could make was hiring Danny.
"That's a pretty good recommendation."
Liberty will run the same spread offense Filleman featured at Ironwood.
However, with no senior class, Filleman will have fewer players at his disposal.
Liberty will feature many two-way players on its 35-player roster, a marked contrast from the 60-player squads at Ironwood.
"The good news is we have a lot of talented players," Filleman said. "We just came back from a camp in California, and halfway through, it dawned on me that all of these kids will be coming back for another year at Liberty. That's quality on and off the field."
Liberty will play an independent schedule in its first season, avoiding the likes of Peoria and Cactus while dipping their toes in the varsity football waters.
The Lions will play several schools also in their first varsity seasons, including Perry, Verrado, Williams Field and Gila Ridge. Also featured on the schedule will be more established schools such as Apollo and Mohave.
Filleman has already established success with the Liberty freshmen and junior varsity programs.
The JV team went 7-1 last season while the freshman squad went 5-3 in 2007.
All that's left is success on the varsity level.
That will be just a matter of time, according to the Liberty athletic director.
"I compare Dan favorably to another rookie coach I hired in 1986," Johnson said in reference to Doug Clapp at Peoria.
Under Clapp's tutelage, the Panthers have won three state titles and been a perennial football powerhouse in Arizona.
Johnson said he envisions that same kind of success for Filleman.
"A lot of people questioned me when I hired Doug," Johnson said. "Now, he's a living legend as a coach.
"Twenty years from now, we could be saying that same thing about Dan Filleman."
DAN FILLEMAN AT A GLANCE
AGE: 33
HIGH SCHOOL: Sinagua in Flagstaff
COLLEGE: Northern Arizona University education major who played receiver in football and right wing for club hockey team
COACHING EXPERIENCE: Spent nine years as an assistant at Ironwood High School, spending first three seasons as running backs coach and last six years as offensive coordinator
FAMILY: Wife Caitlin is an assistant principal at Ironwood High School; the couple have one child, Jace, who turns 2 in October, and are expecting second child in Janurary
RESIDENCE: Litchfield Park
LIBERTY
HEAD COACH: Dan Filleman
TEAM COLORS: Red and black
NICKNAME: Lions
REGION: 4A Division 1 West Valley (Liberty will play an independent schedule in football)
2007 RECORD: First varsity season (JV team went 7-1 last year)
SCHOOL ADDRESS: 9621 W. Speckled Gecko Drive, Peoria (nearest cross streets are 95th Avenue and Deer Valley Road)
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