Tom Wheatley was tough, no-nonsense, loving and modest.

While he never sought the spotlight, he did everything he could to put his players in the glow of success.

He did so at Avondale Agua Fria and Phoenix North Canyon, and the rewards were always seeing his football players return with stories about how he had helped them in life.

On Sunday night, Wheately lost a year-long battle dealing with ailments and surgeries. The Arizona High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame coach was 78.

Wheatley led Agua Fria to state championships in 1988 and 1991 and a co-state championship with Tempe in 1989. His 1986 team finished state runner-up.

After leading Agua Fria to its last title in 1991, he left to start North Canyon’s program. He coached there until 1999, then moved into an administrative role in the Paradise Valley district. He handed the North Canyon job over to Jeff Bowen, who got his first coaching start in 1988 at Agua Fria under Wheatley.

“He was similar to Bear Bryant,” Bowen said. “Coach them hard and hug them later.

“He loved his players and his players love him. When you were on the practice field, it was all work. He got the most out of kids.”

Bowen called Wheatley’s magical run at Agua Fria “the perfect storm” between the coach and the hard-working, agricultural community in Avondale.

“Tom was the perfect coach for that community,” said Bowen, now the head football coach at Arizona Christian University. “Those young men responded to him in a unique way. They would have run through a wall for him. As a young coach out of college, seeing that, that was a special time in my life.”

Kelly Epley, who coached at Agua Fria after Wheatley left, said he wanted to honor what Wheatley established.

“They played with the guys they grew up with and played, ‘Owl ball,’ ” said Epley, who coached NFL defensive end Everson Griffen at Agua Fria. “They did and I thank God I had the opportunity to carry on what he started.”

Nikki Wheatley, Tom’s wife, said that her husband starting having medical problems in September 2019 while on a cruise in Ireland. He felt as if he was having a heart attack. A day after returning home, he had triple bypass surgery.

Later, during rehab, he was having trouble with his balance. A brain MRI detected a problem and he needed a shunt. When COVID-19 hit, that was put off until Aug. 6.

An infection led him to the hospital. Since mid-September, Wheatley was living in a senior home. Nikki said he lost 55 pounds in a month.

“It was rapid deterioration,” Nikki said. “He did not want to live disabled. He started spitting out his meds.”

Nikki said that she and her daughter, Erin Nelson, are putting together a memorial scholarship in Tom’s name, to go to a high school student to help with his or her college tuition, through the Valley of the Sun chapter of the National Football Foundation.

Wheatley had several players receive scholarship help through that group.

“What really stood out about Tom was building up the people he was coaching and how he cared how they did,” Nikki said.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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