Sean
Freeman

Mesa roots

Freeman grew up in Mesa, Arizona, and fell for football early. His grandfather, Levi Morgan, introduced him to the game, and he's been a lifelong Arizona Cardinals fan. He played at Mesa Westwood High School and was part of its 2001 state runner-up team.

The path to head coach

After graduating in 2001, Freeman spent a decade at the University of Phoenix before building his coaching career. He got his first head coaching job at Glendale's Copper Canyon High School, where he led the program in 2018 and 2019. He then returned to his alma mater as Westwood's defensive coordinator in 2021.

The Tempe turnaround

In January 2022, Tempe High named Freeman its head coach, the program's third in three years. The Buffaloes had gone winless the season before. Brian Walker, who led Tempe football for 12 years and whom Freeman calls a mentor and friend, told him he was the man for the job. Freeman set out to "revive and unleash a new brand of Tempe High School football." Within four seasons, Tempe was back in 4A with its most wins since 2019.

Beyond Friday nights

For Freeman, coaching doesn't stop at the sideline. He and his staff make sure players have what they need at home, and he sees the work as paying forward the help others once gave him.