JESSE WHITSON
Coach Jesse Whitson is a native of Glendale, AZ and a 2005 graduate of Deer Valley High School. Whitson was both a two-time regional champion and state medal winner at Deer Valley before accepting a wrestling scholarship to the University of Central Missouri. While wrestling at the University of Central Missouri, Whitson, in 2009, earned a degree in social studies education. In 2010, as a graduate assistant coach for the Mules wrestling team, Whitson earned a master’s degree in sports business administration. In 2011, Whitson became the head wrestling coach at Grain Valley High School in Grain Valley, MO. During his tenure at Grain Valley, he ran a Class Three level wrestling program. His teams were among the Top 10 four times. In addition, he coached a state champion, 24 wrestlers who earned state medals, and 10 wrestlers who were state finalists. In 2019, Whitson joined the Aztecs as the third head wrestling coach in school history. Whitson is committed to the growth and development of all student-athletes and strives to run a high-quality wrestling program where the highest levels of interscholastic achievement can be reached.
PABLO DELEON
Coach Pablo De Leon is a 2011 graduate of Corona del Sol High School. During his senior year, De Leon was an all-state wrestler. He began his coaching career at Centennial Middle School where he was the head coach for six years before accepting a position as assistant coach and freshman/sophomore English teacher at Corona. While at Centennial, he led the team to their only conference championship, two additional top-three conference finishes, and their only top-ten place in state in 2016, where they placed fourth. Under De Leon, Centennial had their only state champion and state placers in school history. De Leon graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in secondary English education. De Leon believes that Corona is his home and that the kids, the school, and the wrestling program has a rich history of greatness that he is honored to be a part of.
PAUL WHITSON
Coach Paul Whitson is a graduate of Trevor Browne High School in Phoenix, AZ. Coach Whitson, commonly referred to as Coach Papa Whit by his wrestlers, was a two-time state runner-up in high school. Whitson had a long tenure as the head wrestling coach for Deer Valley and Goldwater High Schools in AZ. In addition, he assisted his son, Jesse, in coaching at Grain Valley. Whitson wrestled for Glendale Community College before transferring to Central Missouri State University. He has coached at the state, national, and international levels, traveling all over the world with his wrestlers. He has coached thousands of wrestlers and has led many extremely successful teams. With over 40 years of experience teaching, coaching, and officiating, Whitson brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and expertise that greatly benefit our wrestling program. Coach Paul Whitson is proud to be on staff at Corona with his son and believes that wrestling is a sport that teaches toughness, and discipline, and builds character unlike anything else in life.
KEVIN SPARKS
A graduate of Mountain Pointe High School and Northern Arizona University, coach Sparks was a varsity team captain and a natural leader on his high school team. Few people are as knowledgeable and passionate about the sport of wrestling as Sparks. He started his coaching career at Centennial Middle School as an assistant coach. Sparks also coached at Ultimate Wrestling Club at Mountain Pointe High School before coming to Corona del Sol. Sparks is a full-time volunteer who donates his time and is dedicated to the development of wrestlers. Nobody is a bigger fan of the sport. Sparks spends much of his free time following international wrestling competitions and development in the highest levels of the sport. He is a true testament to the meaning of selflessness in service of young athletes. Sparks believes that wrestling is the greatest form of combat and that the sport has the ability to bring people together like nothing else.
AARON SIMPSON
Coach Aaron Simpson is a native of Wellton, AZ, he graduated in 1993 from Antelope Union High School where he was a four-time state champion. He is a former ASU Sun Devil, two-time All-American, and three-time Academic All-American. During his senior season, Simpson was ranked second in the nation and claimed his second PAC-12 championship. He graduated from ASU in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting. Simpson later went on to become an assistant coach for the Sun Devils for nine years where he primarily worked with the heavier weight classes and coached six different wrestlers to All-American honors. He competed on Team USA in 2001 as well as in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Team Trials. In 2007, Simpson earned his master’s degree from ASU in higher and post-secondary education. Before joining the Aztec coaching staff in 2023, he coached Cal Poly for one year in 2008 and was the head coach at Arcadia High School from 2017-2020. Coach Simpson has twins, Nico and Mia, who attend Corona del Sol.
GARRETT RYAN
Garrett Ryan is a native of Scottsdale Arizona. He wrestled for Horizon High School and was an Arizona State Champion as a Junior. He attended Wyoming Seminary for his Senior Year and was the 2013 Prep National Runner Up. He continued his education and wrestling career at Columbia University. He was a 4 time First Team All-Ivy Selection, won the EIWA Conference Title in 2017, and was a 4 time Division 1 NCAA Tournament Qualifier in the Heavyweight Division. After college he continued training and competing for the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Program. He was a 2 time Freestyle US Open Placewinner and retired after a 7th Place finish in the 2021 Olympic Trials. He began his coaching career at Corona Del Sol in 2023 and greatly enjoys sharing his knowledge with the next generation.
MIKE FALTINSON
Coach Mike Faltinson was born and raised in a small town in Wisconsin. He is a dedicated and well-rounded athlete. He competed in football and golf, but wrestling quickly became his true passion. While attending Delavan-Darian High School, Mike was a three time conference and regional champion, two time sectional champion, and three time state qualifier. His leadership skills developed as he was a team captain for three consecutive years. His wrestling career continued at Elmhurst College in Chicago. After moving to Arizona, Mike also began training in MMA and Jiu-Jitsu and won gold at NAGA in 2016. He attributes the sport of wrestling to his confidence, work ethic, and his ability to work in a team environment. Mike previously coached wrestling at Marcos de Niza High School and he now looks forward to contributing to Corona del Sol’s thriving team.
JOHNNY WADDELL
In 2024, Johnny Waddell began his coaching career at Corona del Sol, for both the wrestling and football programs. In the football program, he currently serves as the head JV coach and Varsity Tight End coach. In the wrestling program, he will mainly share his expertise with our upper weights. Johnny is a 2015 Corona del Sol graduate and participated in both the wrestling and football programs all four years. He mainly wrestled in the mid- to upper weight classes during his time at Corona del Sol as well as played center and defensive end for the Aztecs. Johnny has been involved with Corona del Sol Wrestling since he was 10 years old when he started attending the youth camps and wrestled for the Aztec Wrestling Club (AWC) throughout middle and high school. He is hoping to help continue building the strong culture around Corona del Sol athletics and help contribute to these young people’s lives, both on and off the field and mat. Bleed orange!