Sandy Novak has been at Sahuaro for the past 25 years serving in several coaching and teaching positions as well as Athletic Director. A partial list of those positions include:
- 1987-97: Head Girls Track and Field Coach, winning numerous regional and single state titles.
- 1988-Present: Varsity Girls Volleyball Coach (except 2002-06), winning numerous Regionals, State Runner -Up four times, and State Qualifier every year but one.
- 1997-Present: Varsity Boys Volleyball Coach, winning three Regional titles, one State Runner-up, and one Third Place finish. Her teams have qualified for the State Tournament every year and in 2009 won the Boys State Volleyball Championship.
Sandy’s organizational and leadership skills are exceptional as she has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to instruct, inspire, motivate, and encourage student athletes to consistently attain the highest level of their abilities. Her personal qualities of true caring, genuine concern, enthusiasm and willingness to help others have endeared her to the entire Sahuaro community. She is always willing “to go the extra mile” to ensure the continuous improvement of the school and its facilities for the benefit of the students and staff. She has served on several committees to renovate the track and the building of the new gym, concession stand and restroom facilities.
She has also been the Assistant Director of Senior Olympics Track and Field Meet in Tucson and served on the US Olympic Committee Volleyball and Team Handball Liaison to the US Olympic Committee at the 1989 Olympic Festival in Minneapolis. Sandy has earned the Arizona Daily Star Coach of the Year award several times, the most recent being 2012 for Boys Volleyball. Also in 2009, the Arizona Republic named her the State Boys Volleyball Coach of the Year. She has had two articles/ drills published in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Magazine.
Sandy has served Sahuaro as both full- and part-time Athletic Director from 1989 to the present. Highly involved in several professional groups and administrative organizations, Sandy has also served three years as president of the Cougar Foundation Board of Directors and continues to be an active member of the Board. She has been on many State committees for volleyball and women’s equity issues.