Before 54-year-old Kent Winslow was hired in the fall to be the head coach of the Marauders baseball team, he didn’t expect to be asked to coach at all.
“I had no idea,” Winslow said with his big southwestern smile that could stretch across the Arizona desert.
Winslow looks more the part of an Old West cowboy rather than a baseball coach, or a rancher in a new wild west movie with Clint Eastwood or these days, Jeff Bridges.
“My wife got a job in Prescott so we felt the Lord was leading us back to the area and we were glad to make the trip,” Winslow said.
After Winslow changed out of his everyday clothes and into the white and red uniform of the Mingus Union High School baseball team, suddenly, he fit the part.
Originally from Cottonwood, Winslow spent his high school days at Buena Vista High School in Sierra Vista.
Winslow played four sports for the Colts and was a varsity letter-winner in football, basketball, baseball and even one year in wrestling.
Winslow graduated in 1974 and went on to Central Arizona College to play baseball for two years as a catcher.
This, of course, wasn’t the only stop for Winslow who made a career out of moving what seemed like every two or three years.
Winslow played one year for Gonzaga University, and one season for Grand Canyon University before receiving his degree from Northern Arizona University.
As an assistant baseball coach under Alan Flitcraft at NAU, Winslow earned his degree in physical education with a double major in industrial arts in 1980.
He taught at Santa Cruz Valley Union High School for three years, but decided to go back to school to get his masters in education.
“The list gets longer for my masters,” Winslow said with another big smile. “Hope you’re ready to write.”
Texas A&M, the University of Arizona and the University of Wyoming were just three places he ventured in six years.
Winslow finally settled down to teach and coach baseball at Salpointe Catholic High School for nearly 10 years.
Winslow came to the Marauders after leaving Casa Grand High School last year and began teaching physical education at Mingus in August.
“This seems like a nice place. I’ve been to a lot of places. It feels good. There is a tradition of excellence here. Anyone that’s coached baseball here has been a good person and I hope to add to that,” Winslow said.
