FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (June 25, 2021) – After you take a second to think about it you likely won't be surprised, but suddenly
Aaron Pflugrad will be entering his seventh year with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.
Hired as the team's wide receivers coach in the summer of 2015, Pflugrad is the longest tenured coach on the staff despite being one of its youngest. Young enough, in fact, that he initially met many of his coworkers while serving as a ball boy for Washington State in the early 2000s.
"He was around some outstanding coaches. You know we go to the Rose Bowl and he's a ball boy in the Rose Bowl," said
Robin Pflugrad, NAU's tight ends and assistant head coach. "I'm going 'That's pretty cool, it took me a long time to go to one.' And here he is, he's at one when he's in junior high."
Not only is he headed into year seven at NAU, it's also his fourth year working with his father. Robin joined NAU as the program's wide receivers coach when Aaron moved up to his current position of coaching quarterbacks and running the offense.
Robin served as Washington State's tight ends and assistant head coach, as well as the program's recruiting coordinator, from 2001 to 2005. NAU head coach
Chris Ball was on the staff coaching defensive backs at the time while the Lumberjacks' offensive line coach
Bob Connelly held the same position on the Cougars' staff.
"To think that I am an offensive coordinator is pretty crazy," Aaron said. "Coming out of high school, I played wide out and I played for my dad. After you go through that, nothing is really awkward. Going through the coaching professions, we were at different stops and being able to be at the same spot and have the same experiences every day, it is awesome."
First playing at Oregon before moving to Arizona State, Pflugrad finished up his college career in 2011. After a stint with the Philadelphia Eagles and a run with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League, Pflugrad quickly started his run as a coach.
Landing a graduate assistant position with the Sun Devils, the switch turned from focusing on playing to looking ahead to his new career.
"I always took it as a slight or found it offensive when someone said you'd be a great coach," Pflugrad said. "I'd say 'What are you talking about? I am going to play 10 years in the NFL.' Obviously that didn't work out and I took it as far as I could.
"I had been around it my whole life and that's what I wanted to do," he added. "I found myself going to all of ASU's practices, luckily they had a GA spot open up and it just feels natural."
Many would likely say the same when you look at Pflugrad on the recruiting trail, at practice or up in the coach's box on game days.
With his father Robin offering a bit of guidance on the challenges that may await him in the profession, Aaron spent a few years in Tempe alongside a few familiar faces from his days in Pullman before the Lumberjacks found themselves in need a few hours north.
"Being a coach's son and being a GA at Arizona State, we always knew that he was going to be a great coach," Ball said. "There wasn't any doubt. He's extremely smart, high character and has a great work ethic."
While at ASU, both as a player and a GA, Pflugrad was back with Ball and Connelly, as well as NAU's current outside linebackers and nickelbacks coach
Sammy Lawanson. Fast forward a few years, and he was already at NAU as Ball arrived to take over the program.
Though his plan always included keeping both Aaron and Robin on as he built his first coaching staff, Ball said he was blown away by the former's interview as he looked to remain in his role as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
"I ended up interviewing 7 guys," Ball said, doing so at the American Football Coaches Association convention. "He killed it. He did a great job and blew everyone else out of the water."
Pflugrad's impact on the program's roster can easily be seen away from the field, as NAU's most recent recruiting class finished second in the FCS. Holding a vast knowledge of the state of Arizona, thanks in part to the considerable time he's spent in the state making connections, Pflugrad said the university is an easy sell.
Add in the numbers players have produced under him through the past few years with how personable he is, and you've got one of NAU's most valuable recruiters.
"He's very thorough, very detailed, and he does a great job of communicating and a great job of getting in front of players," Ball said. "He knows how important it is to have great players in the program. For him to do what he needs to do offensively, he needs to have great players."
