District statement on Corona's Duane stepping down
April 13, 2015 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2015
Contact:
Jill Hanks
Executive Director of Community Relations
(480) 345-3716 Office/(602) 722-4504 Cell/jhanks@tempeunion.org
Duane Steps Down as Corona del Sol Basketball Coach
After leading the Aztecs to a historic four straight state championships and earning the title of MaxPreps 2015 National High School Basketball Coach of the Year, Corona del Sol High School head basketball coach Sam Duane, Jr. is stepping down.
Duane, who will remain a teacher at Corona, wants to spend more time with his family, in the classroom and to continue pursuing his administrative certification. He shared his decision this afternoon with his players and sent a letter to their parents:
Dear Aztec Family,
As some of you may know by now, I have resigned my position as the Basketball Coach at Corona del Sol. I have taken the necessary time after the conclusion of the season to make sure this is the right decision for me and feel the time is right.
I believe I have given my best to Corona Basketball the last 12 years and have enjoyed being your coach. I now want to take some time and look at all my options going forward. It is also very important for me to finish my administrative certification which will allow me to grow both professionally and personally.
I want to sincerely thank each and every parent that has been a part of our program. Your support of me and the program has been a huge part of our success and for that I am grateful. I hope in some small way I have impacted your son in a positive way.
I would like to thank every player that I have had the pleasure to coach for their hard work and sacrifices. I treasure the great relationships that we have formed and look forward to continuing these in the future.
Thank you to my administration, faculty, staff, student body and all my coaches for our tremendous help and support. I appreciate each and every one of you!!
I hope everyone will understand and support my decision. It has been a wonderful 12 years and I will always cherish my time as the coach at Corona del Sol.
Sincerely,
Sam Duane
Duane’s ties to Corona del Sol run deep. As a youngster, he served as a ball boy for his dad, Corona coaching legend Sam Duane, Sr. Duane, Jr. went on to play for his dad while a student at Corona and later worked as one of his assistant coaches.
“Sam has been such a great leader for our students. We are proud to work with him every day and we fully support his decision.” said Corona del Sol Principal Brent Brown. “Obviously we have some very large shoes to fill, but we are confident Corona’s tradition of excellence on the court and off will attract highly qualified candidates to continue the success here.”
Tempe Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Baca said, “I admire Sam for his professionalism and for his decision to do what he needs to do. He and the Duane family have remained dedicated to Tempe Union, giving back to our students for many years and we are truly thankful for them.”
Duane became just the third boys basketball head coach in Corona history when he returned to his alma mater to take over the program in 2003. Under his leadership, the Aztecs were 276-87 and qualified for the state tournament in each of his 12 seasons.
In 2015 the Aztecs captured a fourth straight AIA Division I State Championship – it’s the first time since Phoenix Union did it from 1958 to 1961. Corona finished this season ranked No. 8 nationally by MaxPreps and No. 1 in Arizona. Duane became the first Arizona big division coach to win four consecutive state basketball titles. He was named MaxPreps National Boys Basketball Coach of the Year, AIA Division I Coach of the Year and Section Coach of the Year.
Duane graduated from Grand Canyon University in 1992 with a Degree in Exercise Science and received a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University in 2002. He was the first head coach in school history at Mesquite High School in Gilbert and worked as an Assistant Coach at Phoenix College and Mesa Community College. His coaching career spanned a total of 25 seasons, 18 as head coach.
Tempe Union will immediately begin searching for a new coach. Candidates may apply atwww.tuhsd.k12.az.us.
