Rich Utter arrived in Southern Arizona in 1979, a graduate of Slippery Rock (Pa.) University, and began his basketball coaching career at Valley Union High School, of all places, a Class 1A school near Cochise College.
He won two games that season. No one could鈥檝e predicted that over the next four decades, Utter would win 512 games as the head boys basketball coach at Rincon/University High School. Last week, Utter told his team and Rangers athletic director Lance LaVetter that he will not return for the 2025-26 season, ending a 36-year run as Rincon鈥檚 head coach. He was also an assistant at the school for nine years.
Rincon/University boys basketball coach Rich Utter, right, has some instructions for Dieumerci Byiringiro during the Rangers鈥 game at 大象APPHigh School on Jan. 31, 2023.
Only Sahuaro High School Hall of Famer Dick McConnell, with 774 career victories, has more boys basketball wins in 大象APPhistory.
What makes it more impressive is that Rincon rarely benefitted from open enrollment, the 鈥渞ecruiting鈥 part of high school sports that has given resource-rich suburban schools and private schools a decided edge in personnel.
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鈥淲e had a very senior-heavy team this year, so I felt it was a good time for the new coach to have a young team to build with,鈥 said Utter, who coached Rincon to the 2006 state championship game.
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