Apache Junction ventured out of state to fill its vacant head football coaching position with a man with East Valley ties, selecting Bruce Binkley as its new coach.

Binkley replaces Vance Miller, who resigned in January to take the head football job at Arcadia High School. Binkley was head coach the last seven years at Del Norte High in Albuquerque, N.M. and has 20 years coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels. Most of that in New Mexico. Binkley is familiar with Arizona where he prepped and played football at Marcos de Niza in the late 1980s. He went on to play football at Mesa Community College. The Binkley's will relocate to Arizona in mid-May. His first meeting with the team is set for tonight, a virtual meeting as COVID-19 dictates.

In a podcast interview with AJ principal Chris Lineberry welcoming Binkley as the next coach and physical education teacher at the school, Binkley summed up expectations:

"I want to know what kids can do, not what they can't," Binkley said, referencing an All In motto....

"It starts with winning at home, winning in the weight room, winning in the classroom. It's not just about Friday night."

Binkley will be Apache Junction’s fifth coach in the last 10 years. He follows Miller, who piloted the Prospectors the last six years. The last three of those were winning seasons, including 2019’s 7-3 mark.

Apache Junction made an initial hire to replace Miller in late February, but the job reopened after Louis Nightengale reconsidered in early March.