Joe Garcia spent his life teaching and coaching in the Phoenix Union High School District.  He is remembered as a loyal assistant coach at Central High School.  He was involved in the freshmen football and baseball programs.  Coach Garcia was active in the Arizona Coaches Association and all its activities for well over 20 years. 

Tom Dingman was inducted into the Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998.  Coach Dingman was a successful football coach at Ajo and Glendale High Schools.  Dingman went on to be a very successful insurance broker.

Coach Rhea Wease was honored meritoriously for his outstanding dedication and service to Salome High School Athletics.  Salome High School opened in 1956, and Coach Wease was the first educator hired.  He remained at Salome until his retirement in 1993.  He coached boy's sports until 1972 and girl's sports from 1973 to 1993.  Coach Wease led the track, volleyball, softball, and basketball teams for the Lady Frogs through that period.  His 1977 and 1978 softball teams were the Arizona State Class C Softball Champions (both wins over Ft.

Clyda Jean Martin Owen came from a large Arizona family.  She attended Arizona State Teacher's College (now ASU) in 1942 and later became the first female Student Body President.  Coach Owen taught and coached at Glendale High School from 1946 to the late 1960's.  Coach Owen is considered to be one of the pioneers in women's high school sports.  The menu above says she was inducted in Girls Basketball, but she was recognized for being a Hall of Famer in all girls sports as well as a cheerleading advisor.  "C.J." won multiple titles in badminton and tennis during her career.  Title IX didn't

Matt O. Hanhila was a scholar, teacher, administrator, coach, and official in Arizona's public school systems for an unbelievable career of 58 years.  Dr. Hanhila was born in Finland and came to this country in 1913.  He attended college and has the rare distinction of receiving his Bachelor's (Arizona State Teacher's College--now NAU), Master's (U of A), and PhD (Arizona State) degrees at all 3 of the major universities in the state.  Dr. Hanhila began his career in education in 1932 in Mohave County.  He taught nearly everything and coached all 4 major sports during that period.

  Ed began his long and storied career at Glendale High School as a biology teacher, frosh football, and junior varsity basketball coach.  He moved to the Phoenix Union High School District in 1950.  He coached for another 10 years at Phoenix Union High School and set a standard of discipline and excellence that remained the staple of PUHS until its closure in 1982.  Coach Long's basketball teams won four state championships in a five year span.  During that era, the Coyotes won 55 consecutive games (still the state 5A record).  Coach Long was named the Phoenix Union District Athletic Direc

Bob Roberts coached track out in the West Valley at Buckeye Union High School for 29 years.  He also coached 10 years previously in Kansas.   Coach Robert's Hawks won a state 3A title in 1975  The Hawks were State Runners-Up in 1966, 1976, 1985, 1987, and 1990.  The Buckeye boys under Roberts were third at the state meet in 1966, 1979, 1980, and 1986.  Coach Roberts replaced another Buckeye Hall of Famer, Lenard Agee, as the head basketball coach at Buckeye in 1961.  Roberts was the Treasurer and later the Secretary of the Arizona Coaches Association.  He was the trainer at the ACA All Star

William "Herk" Mc Dermott coached basketball for 26 years at Kingman, North High School, and East High Schools.  Coach McDermott was always one of the most involved members of the coaches association. Coach McDermott was the secretary-treasurer of the Arizona Coaches Association from 1964-67 and attended the National Coaches Convention in Washington, D.C, in 1967. McDermott coached in the ACA All Star basketball game in 1969.  Herk was the ACA All Star game dedicatee in 1972.   He was most often involved with JV level basketball teams at North, but always pitching in to help the Coaches Ass