GILBERT, Ariz. — Another change is coming to a one of the top high school football programs in Arizona as ALA-Gilbert North has parted ways with head coach and athletic director Randy Ricedorff.
Ricedorff confirmed the move to 12News journalist Cameron Cox on Saturday but did not give a reason.
The move was first reported by Ben Stapley from AZPreps365.com.
Ricedorff had been the Eagles' head coach since 2016 when he started the program. He had a record of 49-21 with the Eagles since the program moved to the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) in 2018.
ALA-Gilbert North has faced criticism from community members, especially on social media, in the months since 16-year-old Preston Lord was beaten to death at a Halloween party in Queen Creek. Ricedorff leaving the school has not been connected to this.
Ricedorff's best season with the Eagles came in 2022 when he led the team to an 8-2 regular season record, 4A East Sky region championship and 4A state championship.
Before coming to ALA-Gilbert North, Ricedorff was the head coach at Show Low High School, where he coached for 10 years. While at Show Low, Ricedorff was able to coach his sons, Rathen and Rhett, and win 100 games including the 2007 and 2010 3A state championships.
Ricedorff had also coached at Saguaro High School, Westwood High School, Trevor Browne High School and Mesa Community College.
Ricedorff attended Westwood and won the 1988 3A Division 1 state championship with the Warriors.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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