Palo Verde High School coach Mentz has seen it all | Greg Hansen

Since then, you could film a movie or write a book about his coaching career at Palo Verde High School.

Mentz, who is retiring from the Palo Verde faculty this month, has been the Titans’ head girls soccer coach for 37 years and is in his 35th year as the Titans’ baseball coach. Who does that sort of double duty anymore? Almost no one.

His Palo Verde soccer teams won 380 games — a Tucson record for girls soccer — and his Titans baseball teams have won approximately 400 games, including the 2014 state championship.

“I’ve also coached a team that went 0-20,” says Mentz, who has been Mr. Palo Verde, serving as the PA announcer for varsity football games and pep assemblies, sticking it out during an era of declining enrollment at many TUSD schools when most coaches hit the exit.

Mentz has been the Star’s Coach of the Year in three different decades, which, as far as I can research, is a very small class that includes Amphi football coach Vern Friedli, Sahuaro basketball coach Dick McConnell and Salpointe soccer coach Wolfgang Weber.

Rather than fully cut the cord, Mentz will remain as Palo Verde’s baseball coach.

“I’ve been to state championship games and also had last-place finishes and everything in between,” he said. “I’m proud to have had 18 former baseball players and 16 former soccer players become high school coaches in town. It’s been a great ride. Now that I’m just focused on baseball, I feel I’ve got 10 more years left.”