Sam Duane Jr. steps down as Perry boys basketball coach following dynasty run
Sam Duane Jr., who led Perry High School to a fourth consecutive boys state basketball championship earlier this month, said Tuesday that he has resigned as head coach.
Duane said he will be taking a job in the Mesa Public Schools at the district level, pending MPS governing board approval.
He said he'll be the district compliance and character coach. He said he'll be highly involved in junior high athletics and have a mentoring role for all coaches at all levels to coach with integrity and character.
"That really excites me," Duane said. "I'll be able to work with more coaches to have a bigger impact with more kids."
Duane stepped down at Tempe Corona del Sol following the 2015 season, after leading the Aztecs on a four-year run of state championships. He repeated that feat at Perry, located in Gilbert and part of the Chandler Unified School District, first with a 6A title in 2022 then three straight Open Division championships.
He has coached two NBA players at Perry in the Williams brothers, Jalen and Cody. He'll likely have another in 6-foot-8 senior Koa Peat, one of the nation's top recruits who was part of all four titles under Duane.
Peat was the second McDonald's All-American that Duane coached. Cody Williams was chosen a McDonald's All-American two years ago. He now plays for the Utah Jazz. His older brother Jalen stars for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"I am grateful for an amazing nine years at Perry," Duane said Tuesday afternoon in a statement. "Together, we accomplished great things.
"I will treasure the relationships we have built and the support of the community. It has been a special time in my life."
Duane thanked administrators, among them Heather Patterson, Jennifer Burks and Dan Serrano, during his time at Perry. He also thanked the basketball families and his assistant coaches, most notably Kevin Hartwig, a former Chandler Hamilton head coach, who was a top assistant for nine years under Duane at Perry.
Duane said he loves the vision at the Mesa Public Schools, led by superintendent Matt Strom, Athletic Director Tommy Eubanks and Director of Community Education Ella Wallace.
"I believe is a tremendous opportunity to transition into a new chapter in my life," he said.
Duane also coached Marvin Bagley III and Saben Lee in Duane's final Corona del Sol season in 2015. They both made it to the NBA.
His final Corona del Sol team went 34-1 and finished ranked No. 8 in the nation by MaxPreps.
This year's Perry team went 27-2 and finished ranked No. 4 in the nation by MaxPreps with its only losses to teams ranked higher: No. 1 Columbus (Florida) and No. 3 Harvard-Westlake (California).
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sam Duane Jr. steps down as Perry basketball coach
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