DAN AVANSINO - FOOTBALL PROGRAM HEAD COACH
Position Coach: Offensive Coordinator (O-Line), Defensive Ends
Coaching Experience: 14 years (9 years as the head coach at Reno High School)
Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy hanging out and playing with my two children, AJ (8 years old) and Ronnie (six years old), both of whom are future Huskies! I also enjoy lifting weights, reading, fishing, traveling, and hiking, not to mention watching movies and sports, especially the NFL Network!
What is your most memorable experience at Reno High School?: Obviously most people will think, and it is partly true, that winning the state championship in 2003 is my most memorable moment; but there are recent moments as well that are very memorable, namely, the victory last year over the then undefeated, number one ranked Senators in our season finale. Equally as memorable as these accomplishments, however, has been forming lifelong relationships with players and staff alike, each and every year. I love coaching and being a part of Reno High School.
BRYON WORTHEN
Position Coach:LB's and WR's
Coaching Experience: 15 years (All at Reno High School)
Interests/Hobbies: When I'm not teaching or coaching I love to play golf. I don't get to play as much as I would like, but I enjoy being outside and relaxing with friends. I am also a big fan of camping out at Pyramid with the family. Playing horseshoes, swimming and cruising on the boat is how I like to spend the summer.
What is your most memorable experience at Reno High School?: The 2003 State Championship run.
Coach Avansino's Take: Coach Worthen is often ridiculed by other staff members for being the “nerd” of the staff and for good reason: he is the Math Department Chair at Reno High School (a job which he excels at), he is constantly preoccupied by his academic responsibilities, and he wears glasses. All this proves that not only is Coach Worthen a tremendous coach that players can relate to, but it shows that he is the consummate professional. I have known Coach Worthen since our days in high school; I consider him one of my best friends and one of Reno High’s biggest assets. He has led our defense two of the last three years to be #1 in the entire North in yardage allowed, and once as the top defense in scoring points allowed.
ALBERTO JIMENEZ
Position Coach: Defensive back, Linebackers, Special Teams
Coaching Experience: 12 years
Interests/Hobbies: Camping with family, Astronomy, Reading.
What is your most memorable experience at Reno High School?: I learned the meaning of "being accountable" on the football field during my
sophomore season of High School football. We had just tied the score going
into the fourth quarter of the closest game we had played in four years. I
was the long snapper for the PAT, and it quickly became clear to me that I
could not miss this one snap if we were to have a chance to win the game.
I decided to be grateful for the opportunity that was placed in my hands and
do my best. I would not try to find excuses or blame anyone else if things
did not go well. I would hold myself fully accountable for the outcome,
whatever that might be. The snap was good, the hold was good, but the kick
sailed wide right. We still won the game by scoring a safety with less than
3 minutes to go in the game. I felt I was a better person leaving that field
than I was when I first stepped on it that day.
JOE MAC SELLERS
Position Coach: Special Teams Coordinator, Running backs, Defensive backs
Coaching Experience: 14 years (4 years as a student assistant at UNR, 5 years at Las Vegas High School, and the last 5 here at Reno High School).
Interests/Hobbies: My interests are definitely seasonal. In the summer, I can be found virtually all week camping at the lake with my family. In the fall and winter, it is all about hunting and football. In the spring, it is fishing, so I guess you could say that I like the outdoors. My main interest, however, is my family. My two sons, Colt (5 years old) and Jack (3 years old) are about to have a new sibling in April 2009 as my wife Stacy is expecting again. I thoroughly enjoy coaching up my two sons in sports right now and can’t wait for our new addition this spring.
What is your most memorable coaching experience at Reno High School?: Well, to be honest there are two memorable experiences that I have had with Reno, and both involve winning championships. The first was the state championship Reno won in 2003. I was on the opposing side as a coach for Las Vegas High School, but I saw first hand the excitement and love the Reno High School Football Community showed for their team. My other memory is of the 2007 season and the players on that team. We won the Sierra League title that year, and to this day, those players would do anything for Reno Football.
Coach Avansino's Take: Coach Sellers grew up with football in his blood. His father is the long-time Wooster and later Manogue coaching legend, Joe Sellers. From an early age “our” Coach Sellers was taught the ins and outs of the game from one of the best. I find it ironic that Coach Sellers ended up coaching at Wooster’s biggest rival from the 70’s and 80’s, Reno High School, and that he married a student from their biggest rival of the 90’s, McQueen. Coach Sellers has been a part of several high school state championships as both a player and a coach. As a junior and senior, he led the Wooster Colts to consecutive state titles in 1994 and 1995. In both years, he was the Player of the Year in Northern Nevada, and his senior year he was also honored by being the Player of the Year for the entire state. He earned a scholarship to play at the University of Nevada, but his career was cut short by injury. Coach Sellers then helped build Las Vegas High School into a perennial power in the state of Nevada winning 2 state championships in five years and finishing as runner up in 2 other years. He is dedicated to making Reno High School what he has been his entire life, a champion.
PHIL PAVILONIS
Position Coach: Everything!
Coaching Experience: 15 years
Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy sports of all kinds; sports have been such an integral part of my life that I have dedicated my profession to them as a Certified Athletic Trainer. Obviously, I love football, but I also really enjoy watching pro hockey. I share my passion of sports and games with my family as we are very active and very busy.
What is your most memorable coaching experience at Reno High School?: My most memorable experience has got to be our miraculous run in 2003. From barely making the playoffs, to beating McQueen in the first round, starting a run of 5 playoff wins in a row, and ending with a state championship!
Coach Avansino's Take: Phil is the most valuable coach that we have. He can give us what no one else can. He keeps us healthy throughout the year as the best trainer in the state of Nevada. If you look above, you can see from the position that he coaches (everything) that he can fill in all the nuances of the game that we have limited knowledge of like kicking, holding, and other specialty skills. He also has a vast knowledge of every conventional position from receivers to lineman to literally any position on the field. Phil received a lot of his knowledge about the sport playing for the University of Nevada and later on by playing semi-pro football.
