Former University of Arizona basketball standout Dee-Dee Wheeler was approved by a unanimous vote Tuesday night to be the head of Interscholastics for the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). Wheeler replaces longtime administrator Herman House and she will begin in June, working side by side with House through the summer.

Wheeler played professionally for the LA Sparks and the Houston Comets along with stints in Turkey, Bulgaria and France. Wheeler earned two masters from the Keller Graduate School of Management in Chicago in 2012. Starting in 2016, Wheeler was the District-Wide Director of Elementary Sports for Chicago, serving 75,000 students.

“I’m excited and I’m looking forward to return to the community that embraced me as a young student from Chicago and now I have the opportunity to serve the city and the students,” Wheeler said. “I’m excited about helping the students grow athletically but also in other areas such as job advancement, business and being part of a family. I am humbly honored to return to Tucson.”

 

Rincon/University announced Khyree Copeland as their new head football coach, taking over for Mike Strack. 

“Copeland has served as an assistant coach for the Rangers over the last two seasons,” RUHS athletic director Dave Le Peau said. “This one-time Northern Athletic Conference Player of the Year has spent the last decade coaching both high school and college in preparation for this role.

“A well-respected member of the Rincon staff, the RUHS administrative team is confident that Coach Copeland is the right person to continue moving the Ranger program in the right direction.”

 

Sabino announced the hiring of former Tucson High coach Daryl Jones on Tuesday. Jones replaces Marty Roth, who went on to be the first boys basketball coach at Mica Mountain.

Jones led Tucson High to a 19-9 record last year and it was a season that included a 9-1 record in the 6A Metro Region and a win in the postseason. Jones was also selected “AZPreps365 Region Coach of the Year” for his efforts by his fellow coaches.