Mike Powers | News-Bulletin photo
Los Lunas High Schools’ Tim Gutierrez won a national scholarship after being selected as the state’s top assistant football coach.
Los Lunas — Los Lunas High School defensive coordinator Tim Gutierrez is the New Mexico winner of the High School Broyles Award as the state’s top assistant football coach.
In addition, Gutierrez was the lone national recipient of a full scholarship for the Florida State University Coaching Masters program.
“I got super fired up,” Gutierrez said of when he was announced as the scholarship winner at a banquet Dec. 5 in Little Rock, Ark. “I screamed, ‘Let’s go dog’ to my fiancée (Emily Ashcraft) and tried to high 5 her. It brought the whole room alive.”
Gutierrez added he was later “a little embarrassed” at his enthusiasm.
Submitted photo
Tim Gutierrez was recently recognized at a banquet in Little Rock, Ark., as a nationally-awarded assistant coach.
Gutierrez didn’t know he was nominated by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association for the state award until he received a notice in November.
“I thought it was a gag email. I didn’t think it was real,” Gutierrez said. “But then my fiancée looked at it and said, ‘No, you actually won.’ It was exciting.”
Gutierrez, who is a special education math teacher at LLHS, was honored along with other Broyles award winners from across the nation.
“I’m incredibly humbled by the award. I never thought I’d be recognized on this big of a stage,” he said, adding it was a thrill to meet and talk football with the other coaches.
Gutierrez says the Coaching Masters online course is unique.
“We’ll get into team management, how to be a head coach, logistical things,” and other topics.
Gutierrez just finished his second year leading the Tigers’ defense, and he believes going undefeated and winning the 2021 5A State Championship helped put his name on the radar.
“We pride ourselves on playing physical, intelligent football,” Gutierrez said of the Los Lunas defense. “We try to fly around, hit and plug holes but be smart about it.”
Gutierrez thanked the NMHSCA, the Broyles family, LLHS head football coach Greg Henington, the coaching staff and his fiancée.
The high school honor, as well as an award for college assistant coaches, is named after Frank Broyles, a longtime football coach and athletic director at the University of Arkansas.
Mike Powers spent more than 40 years as a television news and sports anchor, mostly in the Albuquerque market. He has won numerous awards including New Mexico Sportscaster of the Year. He covers a wide range of sports, including the Valencia County prep scene.
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April 19, 2024
