That was fast..

A month after being fired as football coach at Mesa Mountain View, Tom Joseph has another head coaching gig in familiar territory.

Joseph was offered the job earleir in the week, met Wednesday to accept and was announced Thursday as the new coach at Tempe Corona del Sol. Joseph's hiring is pending Tempe District Governing Board approval on Jan. 5.

Joseph is only the fourth coach in Corona del Sol's 33-year history. He replaces Zane Zamenski, who was fired after a tumultuous 1-10 season guiding the Aztecs. Zamenski followed Gary Venturo, who retired after the 2009 season after coaching the Aztecs for 23 seasons.

Joseph, who previously coached in the Tempe district for six seasons at Marcos de Niza prior to leaving for Mountain View, didn't wait to explore new options. He applied for  openings at Tucson High and Corona -- jobs that opened up shortly after the regular season ended. Joseph wasn't ready to take time away from coaching or settle in as an assistant.

"It's nice to go back to Tempe (district)," Joseph said. "I'm glad there were some opportunities out there. It was a great experience working in the district  the first time. Rejection is never easy no matter who you are. This is a fresh start . I'm looking forward to it."

Tempe Union High School superintendent Steve Adolph, who was an administrator at Marcos de Niza when Joseph coached there, is ecstatic to have him back.

"I think the Corona community will be happy right away," Adolph said. "Tom's very good at the Xs and Os of the game and one of the finest guys you'll ever meet . He's good for kids. He's everything you want in a coach and person. We hated that he left the first time, but we're glad to have him back."

 Corona del Sol athletic director Dan Nero said once Joseph's hiring approval is given in early January, the new coach will be able to meet with parents and players and begin organizing for the 2011 season.

Joseph started his Valley coaching tenure at Marcos de Niza in 1996 after piloting Superior High for four seasons, He returns to Tempe after leaving Marcos in the spring of 2002 for Mountain View. Mountain View posted a 92-27 record under Joseph for nine seasons (2002-2010), which included a state title, three title-game appearances and six region crowns.

Joseph posted a 40-24 record at Marcos de Niza with a 10-2 mark in 1997 and 9-4 record in 1999 his two best for the Padres. He was 27-15 in four campaigns at Superior, including a runner-up finish to St. Johns in the 1993 2A title game.

Tempe district athletic director Ken Salas, who previously worked as an administrator in the Mesa district, also is a fan of  Joseph.

"In my past experience as an administrator in the Mesa Unified School District I know of Tom Joseph's character, leadership and ability to work with young men," Salas said. "I believe I can speak for our district in saying how pleased we that Tom will be returning to Tempe Union High School District."