Paul Widmer

Paul Widmer

Paul Widmer played for four years at Arizona State under Coaches Dan Devine and Frank Kush and was on the Sun Devils' first unbeaten, nationally-ranked team in 1957.

He coached for eight years at Camelback and Tempe High Schools before coming to MCC as an assistant to Edgar "Mutt" Ford. He took over for Ford in 1970. In the next 11 years, his MCC teams won 86 of 108 games and two national championships. He had three undefeated teams, five ACCAC titles, and a bowl record of 3 and 1. Mesa football of that era was named the "Team of the '70s Decade" by the Junior College Grid-wire Service.

Paul was selected NJCAA Coach of the Year on five occasions.

He was our Golf Coach for 15 years and Assistant Wrestling Coach for a brief period, although he acknowledges that his knowledge of that sport was extremely limited. "I was the coach who drove the second van," is the way he describes that assignment.

He returned to the gridiron in 1986 to assist Ken Stites during Ken's two-year tenure as Head Coach.

Paul has been inducted into a Sports Hall of Fame in Western Pennsylvania where he grew up and by the City of Mesa. He was the 2003 recipient of the National Football Foundation's Outstanding Coach's Award.

Looking back on his long career, Paul says, "I'm glad I went into education. I was fortunate to have some great kids at Mesa. We were rah-rah coaches and had fun teaching them."