Queen Creek's Shaun Hardt named National Coach of the Year

Jan. 30—For 21 years Shaun Hardt has built a dynasty on the track at Queen Creek High School.

His team has won multiple state titles during his tenure and has been home to even more individual gold medalists. The Bulldogs have also been just short of state titles on multiple occasions and have placed top three in 95% of their total meets with Hardt at the helm.

But through all of those accomplishments, perhaps Hardt's most recent one is the sweetest of them all.

On Jan. 17, he was announced as the National Federation of State High School Associations Girls Track & Field National Coach of the Year for 2022-23.

"We had a dang good team, and we had some setbacks, but I don't think it was based on just last year," Hardt said. "You never really know how good your kids are overall until you step back, and you start calculating everything they've done. When they told me, I was like, 'You know what, they were legit.'

"It was very humbling."

Hardt's Journey to becoming a track & field coach began in the Arizona mountains.

He was born and raised in Payson. He has two grandfathers and an uncle in the Arizona Coaches Association Hall of Fame. One of his other uncles, Max Spilsbury, served as the head football coach at NAU for several years.

Hardt grew up around sports thanks to his family. He naturally gravitated toward the gridiron, but also competed on the track and in other sports, including bull riding. He picked up that skill from his father, Gary, who was a professional. To this day, Hardt continues that family legacy as a semi-pro.

He worked construction when his oldest daughter, Whitney, was born, but as she grew and her talent on the track began to show, he desired to be more involved. So, he quit construction to begin coaching. He said it was the best decision of his life.

"Wanting to be around my family instead of construction and away from them, plus wanting to help her with her talent, that was something I knew I wanted to be a teacher and a coach," Hardt said. "Being around my family was key."

When Whitney's track career was preparing to take her to Arizona State, Hardt followed. He had been recruited to the Valley by for years prior, trying to entice him to make the move from the white mountains to coach their programs. Queen Creek, at the time led by Paul Reynolds, shared the same vision he did.

His goal was to always make his athletes mentally and physically tough. He would coach them hard but love them harder. It was the same mentality he grew up with, and Queen Creek wanted him to bring it to its program. So, he accepted.

Hardt has helped develop several top athletes during his time as a coach for the Bulldogs. One of the most recent was Catherine Littlewood, a 2023 graduate that battled through injuries as a senior to make a dramatic impact at state last season. She is now at Stanford, a nod to Hardt's coaching. Before she left, she helped the Bulldogs finish as the state runner-up last season, and in turn help Hardt earn the national coaching recognition.

"I attribute it to all the parents and the athletes," Hardt said. "The community here and the kids, have been the best. I just really fit in to their family. It wasn't a coaching thing, it was a community thing."

Hardt isn't easy to miss at practices or track meets. He still represents his small, rural hometown.

His boots and belt buckle shine in the spring sun. His cowboy hat pieces together the rest of his coaching attire, along with a Queen Creek shirt. The hat, he says, serves multiple purposes, though. It also blocks out the scorching Valley sun, something he still vows to get away from in due time.

But that time may not come soon. Even as he discusses a move back to the mountains on a yearly basis, he never has the heart to make it happen. It's become even more difficult now with a sophomore daughter preparing to run her second season of track under him at Queen Creek.

But make no mistake, Hardt loves the Bulldog community and what it stands for. He enjoys being able to push the kids to new limits. He also enjoys their willingness to accept his culture and hard-nosed mentality.

So far, it's paid off.

"We make sure we produce for them, so they see what we're doing for them is actually beneficial for them," Hardt said. "That's what we do."

Have an interesting story? Contact Zach Alvira at (480)898-5630 or zalvira@timespublications.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.