Aaron Maul Leads Seattle Prep’s Football Program With Faith And Purpose

Seattle Prep head football coach Aaron Maul brings nearly three decades of experience, and a deep commitment to the development of young athletes and a Jesuit education to the sidelines. His coaching journey began at his alma mater, Bellarmine Preparatory School, where he spent 12 years mentoring student-athletes. He later led the football program at Bishop Blanchet High School for six years before arriving at Seattle Prep, where he’s now in his 11th season, and a steady presence in a league often marked by coaching turnover.

Maul said what initially drew him to Seattle Prep was the leadership at the school and how closely it aligned with his own values.

“I was just really attracted to the leadership at the school, and I felt it was a great fit from an alignment standpoint with the school’s mission and my personal coaching mission,” said Maul. “I’m a product of a Jesuit high school—I went to Bellarmine Prep, and then also coached there. So it just felt really good to be back in a Jesuit school.”

“The work that we are doing in our school is in alignment with the work that we are doing in our football program. And so I think the benefit for the kid is that what they’re experiencing throughout the school day, philosophically, they’re also experiencing in their co-curricular sport,” he added.

Throughout his tenure, Maul believes that his coaching philosophy has evolved from a focus on schemes to a more player-centric approach.

“I feel like when I was early in my coaching years, I was like, OK, what is the best offense, defense, and special team scheme that we can run? Don’t get me wrong, we still want to be fantastic and scheme,” said Maul. “But I truly am just more convicted or more rooted in the belief that your philosophy and your culture and the behavior of the kids in your program is going to drive your success schematically.”

Maul’s dedication and long-term commitment to Seattle Prep is fueled by the exceptional group of students he works with year after year.

“I’m really fortunate to be able to coach the kids that we have the opportunity to coach in Seattle Prep, but I would say that we’re not a school that we can just count on reloading each year at each position group and being incredibly talented each year,” said Maul. “And so, I think one thing that’s fascinating about coaching at Seattle Prep, and I think just coaching high school football in general, is that each year you have a new puzzle, or you have a new problem to solve.”

“There are only a few schools that each year can say, hey, we’ve reloaded. But we’re not one of those schools,” continued Maul. “We’re a place that we pride ourselves on the relationships that we develop with our kids and the development of each one of those kids.”

Reflecting on this year’s roster, Maul said that his team features one of the strongest groups of linemen he’s ever coached.

“We have kind of pivoted a little bit from a team that I would say was over the years very skill-heavy, and I think this year our group up front on the offense and defensive line is one of the best groups that we’ve had over the years,” Maul said. “We still have some dynamic playmakers in our skill positions, but it’s just allowed us to attack opponents in different ways.”

A key player on this year’s team is Maul’s son, senior Ezra Maul. For Coach Maul, finding the balance between being a father and a coach has been a meaningful and rewarding experience. As they head into their final season together, he’s focused on cherishing every moment they share on the field.

“I think the challenge is trying to find that balance of dad and coach. And he is going to kind of always hear that dad voice, but his maturation process has been, hey, can I hear my coach’s voice when I’m on the field? But we can’t miss the incredible opportunity that it is to spend this time together as a father and son,” Maul said. “We are really trying to count our blessings and maximize each moment together, because it just, it’s disappearing slowly.”

One of the highlights of Maul’s coaching career was being named the Metro League Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2024.

“In 2021 and in 2024, there were some fantastic coaches who were coaching in the Metro League,” says Maul. “Some are still in the Metro League, and others have moved on, but to be surrounded by so many fantastic head coaches, and then to be recognized as Coach of the Year by those coaches is a tremendous honor.”

While many coaches use pregame warmups to size up the talent on the field, Maul said he focuses more on the coaches than the players. He uses it as a chance to learn from some of the best coaches in the Metro League.

“There are coaches in this conference that I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and I look up to greatly. In pregame, I’m not, I’m not watching the other team warming up. I’m studying how other coaches are leading their teams,” said Maul.

With the regular season entering its final week, Maul is focused on ensuring his team is peaking at the right time, with the goal of making a deep postseason run into the Round of 32 and ideally a spot in the state championship game.

“I still feel like we haven’t played our best football, which is great because we want to be playing our best football late October and November,” said Maul. “And once you get into the tournament, you have to be really good each Friday night, and it is just one week at a time. Who can prepare and be the best in the moment? And for us, let’s get ourselves into the tournament and then continue to get better each week and play as long as we can together.”