Athletic Director Scott Davis announced on Jan. 16. that Edward Tonga would fill the role of head coach for the Paly varsity football team.

Tonga was the team’s defensive coordinator this past season and has led off-season training clinics. He also serves on campus as a Student and Family Engagement specialist.  

Abel Velazquez, a fellow Student and Family Engagement specialist at Paly, said Tonga builds relationships fast with students and consistently keeps a positive mindset. 

“Anytime he starts laughing, I hear the other students laughing,” Velazquez said. “They love him a lot. They know that he will go in and act for them. He supports them, and he just wants the best for them, and I can tell that he’s passionate about his position and passionate about helping students.” 

Junior Mack Reller, a varsity football player, said he is excited about Tonga stepping into the head coaching role.  

“I think he just brings a lot of energy,” Reller said. “I remember being a freshman, and he was one of the loudest voices leading us through warm ups and always telling us, ‘Every day is going to be a great day.’” 

Tonga said one of his primary goals as coach is to build stronger team chemistry within the football program — between players, leaders and coaches — as well as foster greater collaboration with other Paly programs.

“I’d like to see the marching band, the tennis team, the football team and everyone under the athletic umbrella together,” Tonga said. “I feel that right now, we’re kind of separate in a way, and I want us to do more together.” 

Reller said stronger chemistry will improve both team bonding and on-field performance. 

“Football is really all about playing for your teammates,” Reller said. “I think the stronger the team is, the better we’ll play together.” 

Junior Wyatt Saxon said building team chemistry as early as possible is especially important for players entering the season late. 

“I started the season a little bit late, and it seemed like that affected my ability to play a lot,” Saxon said. “Starting as early as we can to get as much meshing as possible is going to be good for us.” 

Velazquez, who has been at Paly since the football team’s 2010 state championship, said the team’s culture will change for the better under its new coach.

“I think Coach Tonga will bring this fraternity of them together as a family,” Velazquez said. “He’s very open about making this a place where you’ll feel like you’re brothers in arms, and he fosters the energy of brotherhood and of connecting each other to a higher purpose.”

During the summer, Tonga runs a faith-based offseason football clinic called Journey for athletes ranging from middle school to college. He said the program allows him to connect with the broader Palo Alto community. 

“I get to work with kids from Greene. I get to work with kids from San Jose State and Gunn,” Tonga said. “It helps the community understand that there is a football program that’s going on in Palo Alto.” 

Tonga said his Christian faith guides his coaching style, both through Journey and the Paly football program. Through his faith, he said he emphasizes coaching the whole player, not just athletic performance. 

“I know there’s things that they could maybe fall short of, like being able to be understood … or their confidence is kind of low,” Tonga said. “My faith can help me in those areas. It’s not in what I coach but how I coach. I think it just makes better players altogether.” 

For students interested in joining the football program, Tonga said he aims to be a transparent coach. 

“I will tell them exactly what will work for them, what will not work for them, and I’ll let them have the choice,” Tonga said. “Football is a way out, an outlet to play a different sport, but at the same time, it’s also good for just training.”

Tonga said he encourages students to get involved in the program through morning workouts or summer training, even if they do not play football. 

“You’re more than welcome to come out to zero period and train with the football players and not even see the field,” Tonga said. “I think it helps out with a lot of other areas, and I call that a superpower, because you never know if you know how to run and catch until you try.” 

With the leadership change, Reller said he is optimistic about the future of Palo Alto football. 

“I’m just ready to see where he takes it, even after I graduate,” Reller said. “Tonga’s a really good head coach and a good leader for the young men in the community.”