As Albuquerque Academy celebrates its 70th anniversary and the many alumni who are leading in the field of education, we pause to honor graduates who have come full circle — returning to campus to serve the next generation of Chargers. This month, we feature alumni coaches who now guide student-athletes on the golf course, basketball court, and soccer pitch.
For many Academy students, Charger athletics is where they find belonging, identity, and pride. High school student-athletes often devote 10-20 hours each week to their sport — the equivalent of a part-time job. Coaches do far more than teach skills and strategy; they lead, mentor, and shape young people during some of the most formative years of their lives.
For Gary Gordon ’79, a former Academy tennis player, the best moments of his athletic career weren’t about a championship trophy, a dramatic win, or a perfectly executed shot. Instead, Gary pointed to a much quieter moment — one he shared with Darell Gage, the legendary math teacher who also served as the Academy’s tennis coach for nearly 50 years.
Gary recalls being in eighth grade when Coach Gage watched him serve twice before offering a simple diagnosis: he wasn’t throwing the ball high enough. What followed was repetition and patience — serve after serve, as the Sandias turned pink and dusk slipped toward dark.
That afternoon became one of the most meaningful moments of Gary’s time at the Academy. “That was the lesson,” he recalls. “Always give yourself a target that is higher than you think you can possibly reach. Throw the tennis ball higher.”
Over seven decades, Albuquerque Academy has built one of the nation’s premier athletic programs and is currently ranked 13th in the country by MaxPreps. We got there through countless experiences like Gary’s. And many of those young players have come back to coach today’s Chargers.
“Our alumni coaches love kids, they love their sport, and they love this school,” says Head of School Julianne Puente. “They use the playing field to instill the values that matter to us.”
Zachary Haas ’96,
Girls Varsity Golf
On His Mentors
I had some incredible mentors at the Academy. I remember it was a Friday night football game, 30° weather. I played every offensive play, and we lost 49-0. This was my first-ever game as the varsity starting quarterback. Coach Carroll taught history, and he said to me, “Any great historical figure you learn about is going to get beaten down. This journey is not going to be easy. And you have a choice about whether you’re going to be that victim. Choose to complain, or truly be a competitor by leaning into these setbacks and doubling down on what you know and your protocols.”
Coach Scott Neal was an incredible mentor of mine as well. He was a head track coach, and he coached football for many years. He taught me what it meant to be courageous, to embrace being uncomfortable, and to trust that process. He taught me that details matter — a slight change in body position or mechanics can have an enormous effect. One of my favorite memories with him was playing freshman football. In our last game of the season, we’re down by seven with four seconds left. We’re at the 40-yard line. Really not much hope, right? I was five-foot-three, maybe 140 pounds. How was I supposed to keep the ball 45 yards in the air for a Hail Mary? He called the timeout, and he came into the huddle and looked all of us in the eye and said, “All it takes is one play, all it takes is one moment. Have confidence in your training that you are here for a reason. You are here to successfully complete this play.” Not only did we score the touchdown, but Coach Neil showed he had the faith in us and the courage to go for two. We could have tied it up and gone to overtime, but he went for two points, and we won the game.
On What Makes the Academy Special
I love the Academy. There are still many faculty members I keep in touch with who are here today, and that makes this place special. As an alum, I take great pride in knowing that this is the best program and school in this region. I see it firsthand, being on campus as a coach and having my daughters go here as well. The students are extremely special, and they make coaching easier. I feel they have a zest and a joy for learning not only in the classroom but also on the field.
On Coaching His Daughters
I was apprehensive coming into it. I had to clear it with them before I put my name in the hat for golf. And the first thing my oldest daughter said was, “Dad, if you coach us, we’ll be so much better.” Once I got that reassurance, I was all in. I’ve loved it.
It’s definitely a challenge at times. There are times that I find myself holding them more accountable than the rest of the team. And so I hear it. My eighth-grader says, “Dad, you were harder on me than everybody else today,” and I appreciate her telling me. I try to be better every day. It is such a blessing to be out there with them every single day for two hours to preach and teach what I have been taught by my incredible mentors. I think it will really make a difference in their journey.
Josh Skarsgard ’96,
Girls Varsity Basketball
On Returning as a Coach
The transformative and uplifting relationships that I developed with Mike Brown (basketball), Pete Clinch (soccer), and Darell Gage (tennis) inspired me to return to the Academy as a coach. I hope to provide the student-athletes who play for me the same inspiration, teaching, and love that I received as a student at the Academy. I remember sitting in the bleachers, cheering passionately for every Academy soccer and basketball team my brothers, Adam and Monte, played on. Frankly, I don’t remember ever not bleeding red and black. Academy athletics have been such a part of my family that it is simply a part of me.
On Favorite Memories
My favorite memory as a player was winning the 6-Peat Boys State Basketball Championship in 1994. I was able to climb the stairs of the Pit and hug my grandfather, A.T. Skarsgard, who died three months later. Embracing him after such a special season was so meaningful to me as a young man.
My favorite memory as a coach is our incredible victory against St. Pius X High School last season. We were losing 31-13, and the girls never quit — they showed unbelievable resiliency by clawing back for an emotional come-from-behind victory that I’ll never forget.
On What It Means to Be a Team
“Teammates are forever” is the value that I hope my student-athletes take from their time with me at the Academy. The element of coaching that gives me the greatest satisfaction is watching lifelong teammate relationships grow before my eyes. I was the best man in James Borrego’s wedding (my basketball teammate from the ’90s, and I am close to many others, like Zac Haas, Shawn McConkey, Suraj Reddy, and Carlos Garcia). Those relationships are the real legacy of the Academy in my life.
Andrew Wiese ’87,
Girls Varsity Soccer
On the Academy’s Approach to Athletics
Ashby Harper was the head of school when I was a student. He swam the English Channel, so back in the day, athletics were really, really important to him. He really valued what you could learn in that environment as part of the Academy’s total experience. Fortunately, Julianne Puente feels the same. As a former high school and collegiate athlete and coach herself, she sees the role of the coach as fundamental to our students — the responsibility, the importance of the lessons that can be learned. It’s terrific to have somebody in charge of the school who really understands the kind of lessons that you can impart in athletics.
On His Coaching Philosophy
My philosophy is very different from many coaches. I ask the kids to self-organize. Each year, we write a mission statement so they understand that it’s not up to me to decide what the team is about — it’s for them to decide what’s important and how to achieve their objectives. I let them know that, yes, there’s a legacy, and yes, there are expectations, and we either rise to those or we don’t, but we get to define this experience in our own way. It’s about who they are as individuals and how they function as a team. And then we use the mission statement as a reference during the season to ask, “Are we being true to this or are we not? Do we need to redefine who we are, or are we happy with what we want to do?” If you just give them space to have an opinion, they are right most of the time. You just have to listen to them.
On Being a Team
There are things that are worth working for that are hard, and sometimes you will work hard and fall short of your goal, but it’s really about the experience of trying to get there. It’s important for people to recognize that it takes hard work, dedication, concerted effort, and focus, and that you may still not get exactly what you want out of it. That’s why high school sports are so great. On a high school team, you are playing for something other than yourself — for your school, for your teammates. It’s important to frame why you want to put in the hard work — I’m learning how to work in a group, learning how to compromise, learning how to lift each other up and create support where it’s needed, learning how to push each other in a way that works for the team. When it happens, it is pretty remarkable.
Share Your Charger Story
If you would like to share memories of your Academy coaches, we would love to hear them. Please email them to [email protected]. We plan to continue celebrating these incredible mentors and people because the title of “coach” is a badge of honor.
