Andrew Sedillo is well known among the Juan Diego Catholic High School community, having coached wrestling from 2006 to 2020. He is now taking the “assistant” off of the title he had with the softball program for the 2022-23 season and will head up the Soaring Eagle team on the diamond this spring.

“We are excited to have coach Sedillo take over,” said JDCHS Athletic Director Danny Larson. “Softball is one of our programs on the rise and we couldn’t ask for anyone better than him to lead the charge.”

“I am excited and look forward to the challenge,” Sedillo said.

Larson noted that softball brought the school its first state championship in 2001. “As we get ready to celebrate our 25 years as a school this gets talked about a lot,” he said. “Coach Sedillo understands how important this is to many in our community and he is going to do everything he can to get us back to competing at a high level.”

Sedillo, who lives in Riverton, has been coaching the Utah Bullets comp team—where his youngest daughter Olivia plays second base, outfield and as a utility infielder—and the duo will be back to help the JDCHS team improve on a 16-12 season from a year ago.

Coach Sedillo was a two-time state champion in wrestling at Coconino High School in Flagstaff, Arizona, while also playing football and baseball, and went on to wrestle at Arizona State University. His athletic journey was heavily influenced by his own coaches who were role models to him and with whom he had good relationships. 

“I want to pay it forward,” he said. “I have always been pretty good with kids and there were always opportunities when my kids were younger to coach them in a variety of sports. I do enjoy teaching and mentoring our youth.”

Sedillo said being able to have an impact on young people has been the highlight of his coaching career. “I have been around long enough to hear from former athletes that what they went through during their time as athletes in high school has had a positive effect on them and that I was a small part of it,” he said. 

The coaching philosophy that he will bring to the JDCHS softball program involves “working hard in practice, playing hard in games and having fun while doing it,” while showing respect to everyone, playing as a team and developing discipline.

“It is my privilege to coach these girls and hopefully be successful on and off the field,” coach Sedillo said. λ