Now that the 2015-2016 high school basketball season has come to an end, it is now time for our staff to make our selections for our Players of the Year, Coaches of the Year and All-State Teams.
Our 2016 Arizona Preps Small School Coach of the Year is Casa Grande High School head coach Gino Crump. Crump is well-deserving of this honor, although it was his first season as a head coach in the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) - an amazing accomplishment. After taking over a struggling Casa Grande basketball program during the spring of 2015, Crump worked tirelessly to build and develop the program into one of the state's hottest teams this high school season - leading the team to 17-straight wins at one point this season and a 25-6 overall record.
While Casa Grande would eventually fall to North Canyon High School (55-53) in the Division-III state playoffs, in the process, Crump would revitalize a community and a basketball program that once dominated the state.
Crump moved to the state of Arizona from Washington D.C. in 2007, and his tremendous coaching experience and long list of relationships has helped Crump develop many players throughout the country. His desire to coach and develop young men led Crump to to the Casa Grande community, where Athletic Director and former community native, hero and NFL star Randy Robbins gave him an opportunity to lead his high school program.
"I didn't cut any players this season," said Crump. "We only had 9 players come out for the team this season. I couldn't cut anyone. I had to develop each player."
Congratulations to Gino Crump on this tremendous coaching accomplishment and for helping Casa Grande's youth. Our staff here at Arizona Preps respects what Crump and his staff did this season a great deal.
Finishing runner-up for this year's honor was Student Choice Prep Academy head coach Darell Redmond, who led his high school program to the CAA State Championship and a terrific 21-4 overall record this season. In the CAA final, Redmond and his high school team defeated #1 ranked and undefeated Tri-City Christian Academy 61-60 for the state title.
