Coach Mike Giovando, a highly respected private quarterback coach based in Phoenix, AZ, boasts an impressive 32-year career in football coaching. His specialization lies in training quarterbacks, to which he has dedicated 26 years exclusively, making him an expert across all levels of play, from youth football to the NFL.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, two of Giovando’s quarterbacks were involved. One was the University of South Carolina Quarterback Spencer Rattler, who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the 150th overall pick in the fifth round. The other was the Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer, who is signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Coach Gio’s track record is truly remarkable, having trained over 1500 quarterbacks and helped secure 400 scholarships for his players. He has also conducted multiple Pro Days for college prospects with aspirations of playing in the NFL.
Many of Coach Gio’s alumni have gone on to play or are currently playing at renowned schools and NFL organizations, including the University of Oklahoma, Purdue, Michigan State, Cal, Arizona, Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado, San Diego State, New Mexico, South Carolina, Louisville, Central Michigan, Southern Utah, South Dakota State, Cal Poly, Oregon, Central Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Duke, Wyoming, Colorado, Northern Arizona, the Atlanta Falcons, the New York Giants, and the New Orleans Saints.
One of Coach Gio’s most notable protégés is Spencer Rattler, who was the former number one high school quarterback in the country in 2019. Rattler, under Coach Gio’s guidance for ten years, received the 2019 Elite 11 Map Award and garnered 14 offers from NCAA Division I schools, including Alabama, Notre Dame, and Miami.
In 2023, Coach Gio trained Dylan Raiola, the top overall prospect and number one pocket-passing quarterback for the 2024 cycle from Chandler, Arizona. Raiola had been committed to Ohio State since May but ultimately chose the University of Georgia over programs such as USC, Alabama, and others. Additionally, Demond Williams, a 2024 quarterback from Basha High School, has trained with Coach Gio since the 6th grade.
Both Williams and Raiola were Elite 11 finalists in the 2023 competition. Williams secured the state championship in 2022 in the Open 8 series, while Devon Dampier, who trained under Coach Gio and is now at the University of New Mexico, won the Open 8 state championship in 2021. Dampier also received the prestigious Ed Doherty award for the 2022 season, recognizing him as the best high school player in Arizona. Similarly, in 2021, Nicco Marchiol, now at West Virginia, received the Ed Doherty award. Coach Gio takes immense pride in all the quarterbacks he has trained, regardless of their level of play, be it Division II, Division III, NAIA, or Junior College. The success of Coach Gio’s academy in Arizona continues to thrive, with no plans of slowing down in the foreseeable future.
Sunday morning Westside group got work done! @elev8academy @quarterbackmag pic.twitter.com/B3OFSAAVxA
— Mike Giovando (@Elev8QBacademy) July 4, 2023