This upcoming weekend, the University of Hawai'i and Boise State University are set to meet in a Mountain West conference football game in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The game features two coaches who have a special connection to the Azusa Pacific football program and to each other. On the Hawai'i sideline, Victor Santa Cruz, former 14-year head coach of Azusa Pacific, is in his first season as the defensive coordinator for the Warriors. On Boise State's sideline, Spencer Danielson, who played linebacker for Santa Cruz and the Cougars and then spent four seasons as a coach at his alma mater, is in his fourth season with the Broncos, now serving as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.
 
Santa Cruz spent 19 seasons at Azusa Pacific, serving as an assistant coach from 2001 until 2004, and then became the program's eighth head coach prior to the 2006 season. Over his 14 seasons at the helm of Cougar football, Santa Cruz elevated the program to new heights as he led Azusa Pacific to four conference titles, two NCAA playoff appearances, and became the program's winningest coach with 84 victories. Of those 84 victories, 56 of them came after the Cougars had transitioned to the NCAA from the NAIA in 2012. Not only did Santa Cruz hold his teams to a high standard of excellence on the field, but he also demanded much from his student-athletes in the classroom, as the program claimed six consecutive Great Northwest Athletic Conference academic championships.
 
Santa Cruz left Azusa Pacific for Hawai'i this past January, as he returned to the program with which he played linebacker from 1991 to 1994. In his first season with Warriors, the team is 2-2, and his defense leads the conference in interceptions (6) and has allowed the second-fewest pass yards (651).
 
Danielson was a three-year starter at linebacker for Santa Cruz and the Cougars (2009-12), wrapping up his playing career in Azusa Pacific's first NCAA Division II season. He was the team defensive MVP and was the third-leading tackler for the 2012 defense, and his playing career also included back-to-back NAIA playoff appearances in 2010 and 2011. Danielson started 29 times in his career, registering 190 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 5 interceptions over four seasons.
 
Upon the completion of his playing career, he joined Santa Cruz' coaching staff in 2013. He primarily served as the linebackers coach for the Cougars, but also took over as the recruiting coordinator in 2016, which was his final season at Azusa Pacific. Over the eight years Danielson spent at Azusa Pacific as a player and a coach, the Cougars posted an overall record of 57-32 (.640), recording six or more victories in all but two of those seasons. For Danielson, his time spent at Azusa Pacific with Santa Cruz has been a key element to his quick ascension in his coaching career, "I am so thankful and blessed to have played for as well as coached for Coach Santa Cruz," he said, "He had an integral part in me becoming a coach and chasing my dreams. I owe him a ton and will always see him as a mentor and a friend."
 
After joining the Broncos' coaching staff as a graduate assistant in 2017, he quickly proved himself at the Division I level, as he earned a promotion to a full-time position prior to the 2018 season, coaching the teams STUDs (standup defensive ends). Danielson once again excelled in his responsibilities, as he showed he was prepared to take the next step in his career, and was named the co-defensive coordinator prior to the 2020 season. Through the Broncos' first four games this year, the team is 3-1, with their lone loss being to the ninth-ranked team in the nation, Brigham Young.
 
This Saturday will provide Santa Cruz and Danielson a rare opportunity to reconnect amidst the usual busyness and demands of a college football season, giving the two men a brief chance to reflect on one another's success thus far in their coaching careers, while also reminiscing on their eight years spent together at Azusa Pacific.
 
Current Azusa Pacific head coach, Rudy Carlton, who took over for Santa Cruz after serving as his offensive coordinator for the last 10 seasons, is eager to watch the matchup. "When you stop and think about what Cougar football has been able to accomplish since going Division II in 2012, everyone thinks of Coach Santa Cruz," said Carlton, "but you cannot have that conversation without Spencer either! Those two have been foundational to what has been built here. To witness them have success at the major Division I level speaks to the caliber of coaches that Azusa Pacific attracts and develops. They are both amazing football coaches and two of the best men I know, and I cannot wait to see them face off this weekend."
 
Another member of the Azusa Pacific football program who will certainly be tuned in to Saturday's contest is Bo Beatty, assistant head coach and linebackers coach, who knows both Santa Cruz and Danielson very well. Beatty spent nine years as an assistant for Santa Cruz, and also coached Danielson for three years before working alongside him for four seasons when Danielson joined the Cougar coaching staff. "I could not be more excited for Victor, Spencer and Azusa Pacific football," said Beatty, "These two are guys that love Jesus and are pushing His kingdom forward through the platform of football. I think it validates the vision statement of Azusa Pacific Athletics, in that we are building champions while pursuing championships, and major Division I programs wanted to involve this type of leadership and mission in their programs. Saturday's meeting between Victor and Spencer serves as a great reflection on Azusa Pacific and our program, and I can not wait to watch them live out their calling in front of a larger audience."
 
Saturday's game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network, with kickoff in Honolulu set for 8:00 p.m. (PST).