GOODYEar WRANGLERS
HOME OF COWBOYS, TIRES, & RACING
Post High School Collegiate / Junior College Football Program
"The GOODYEAR WRANGLERS tried and failed in 2025…but expect to rebound in 2026.
We appreciate the hard work of Head Coach/General Manager Paul Funches; and we will always appreciate and respect the effort he put into helping build the Wranglers.
After helping successfully lay the foundation for the initial season in 2024, the recruiting campaign for 2025 was unsuccessful.
Unfortunately, the Wranglers were not able to successfully recruit enough committed players for the 2025 season. And after bringing in two consultants, as a last effort, to help us get through the season, our Board ultimately determined that we needed to restructure the Wranglers and discontinue the 2025 season. Most importantly the recruiting needs to be based on developing relationships with the High School's in the Phoenix and Arizona area …
The Plan is to have 50 to 60 players; and with over 200 Phoenix area high schools, and another 200 throughout the state…60 players is an easy expectation.
The Team is sponsored by USA Collegiate in partnership with non-profit groups Legacy Foundation USA and The COACHES TEAM Foundation. Additional support for the Team is generated by the Head Coach/General Manager enlisting donors and sponsors through private/public partnerships. Unfortunately, this fell short in 2025 and will be remedied in 2026.
New Head Coach / General Manager TBA soon.
We have identified several candidates who played JUCO and Major College Football, have coached in JUCO and Major College, and understand how to build a program. The new coach will start by visiting the local high school coaches and players and explain the opportunity with the GOODYEAR WRANGLERS."
Post High School Collegiate / Junior College Football Program
WELCOME TO GOODYEAR WRANGLERS FOOTBALL
Junior college football has disappeared from numerous states, leaving many high school graduates who aren’t offered major college scholarships with their dreams cut short before they truly begin. Starting in Fall 2023, USA Collegiate and The Coaches Team Foundation, a nonprofit organization, brought junior college football to Goodyear—along with a “gap year” program designed to give recent graduates another shot at achieving their goals.
When people hear “junior college athletics,” they often underestimate the impact this transitional level of competition can have on a student-athlete’s growth both on and off the field. The same holds true for those taking advantage of the gap year opportunity.
The Goodyear Wranglers, one of Arizona’s first private teams, are committed to helping post-high school players develop academically, athletically, and physically so they can reach their ultimate goal: playing major college football.
GOODYEAR WRANGLERS FOOTBALL
What You Get From Joining the Goodyear Wranglers Football Program
Football, Education, and Life Skills.
Prospects
We give an opportunity to do what every high school football player dreams of. Play college football.
Education
Our players will be enrolled in school and making educational progress WHILE on the team.
Lifeskills
We teach all the necassary life skills needed to ensure a promising future on and off the field for every member.
MEET THE HEAD COACH
Paul Funches
Paul brings over 16 years of coaching and leadership experience to the Wranglers. He began his coaching career in 2007 as a graduate assistant at Franklin College before transitioning to youth development work at Atterbury Job Corps Center, helping young men build the skills to succeed in life. Returning to coaching in 2011, Paul served as varsity defensive coordinator at Marion High School, leading one of Indiana’s top defenses.
In 2016, Paul joined Indiana Wesleyan University as running backs coach, guiding athletes through the demands of college football. Three years later, he founded Liberty Prep Sports Academy, a post-grad/junior college program dedicated to preparing athletes for four-year universities. In its first season, Liberty Prep posted an 11–1 record, spent eight weeks ranked #1 nationally, and claimed both the Great Lakes Conference and NPGAA National Championships—earning Paul the NPGAA National Coach of the Year award.
With a proven track record of building winning programs and developing student-athletes on and off the field, Paul is committed to helping Wranglers players reach their full potential athletically, academically, and personally.
Goodyear Wranglers is one of the first private Post High School Collegiate/JUCO Football teams in Arizona whose program will help post-high school football players develop academically, athletically and physically to reach their goal of playing major college football.
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
650N 137th Avenue Suite 160
Goodyear, AZ 85338
Coach Paul Funches - Head Coach
(317) 910-1375
Mark Brady - Commissioner of Football
435-773-2903
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