Horizon High didn’t wait long to find its next football coach, recommending to the district’s school board Thursday that it hire Steve Casey to succeed Keith Brown as coach of the Huskies.
Casey spent the last six years as coach at Yuma Kofa High School where he compiled a 27-33 record with the Kings. Casey piloted Kofa in the 5A Fiesta Region for five seasons and the 5A Desert Valley last year, two very competitive regions.
"His win-loss record there is somewhat deceiving," Horizon athletic director John Pierce, who announced Casey as coach, said. "He’s very forthright, a disciplineoriented coach. He takes a very positive approach, and has shown an ability to be very dedicated to the players. There is a lot to like about him."
Casey wasn’t officially offered the job until Thursday, but didn’t take long to accept it once it was presented.
"I knew of Horizon and the quality program it has," Casey said. "This is a great opportunity for my family, and I think a great situation to come into. They have a well-rounded program and care about athletics and academics."
Brown resigned the last week of March to pursue a high school opportunity in Sacramento, Calif. Almost a month to the day, Casey is the choice to help keep a successful program on the winning track. Horizon is the defending Desert Valley Region champion.
Prior to his stint at Kofa, Casey coached Arizona Western College for eight seasons, four seasons with Chandler coach Jim Ewan at New Mexico Highlands and two seasons as an assistant at Virginia Tech.
Casey is the third coach at Horizon in the last four years. Doug Shaffer retired after the 2001 season and Brown coached in 2002 and 2003.
