Sydney Rabinowitz is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Coronado High School for AZPreps365.com

At Coronado High School, if there is one coach that has shown the true pride of being a Don, it would be Michael Nafizger.

Known as “Coach Mike” by students and staff alike, Nafizger embodies what it means to be a Don. Through his own trials and tribulations, Nafziger has learned not only about being a good leader, but also a role model.

The road to becoming the varsity basketball coach did not come easily, however. Nafziger had to overcome hurdles of his own to make it to where he is today, which is highlighted in how he progressed through the coaching process. 

Nafziger began his career playing for Illinois Central College, where his team finished third in the 1997 NJCAA Division II National Championship. Following Illinois Central, Nafziger played for Jacksonville State University,  a Division I school. 

Nafziger got into coaching shortly after his college career ended, which led him to Arizona. While in Arizona, Michael coached for multiple  club teams, which led him to the job at Coronado. Originally starting out as a freshman/sophomore coach in 2020, Nafziger eventually worked his way up to varsity head coach this 2026-2027 season. 

One constant throughout anyone who talks about “Coach Mike” is that he is consistently there for the players, whether that be on or off the court. 

“He is a great coach. He's helped me progress as a better player on the basketball court,” said Eddrin Dee, a sophomore at Coronado. “Besides that, he's also helped me become a better person.”  

Nafziger has been Dee’s coach since eighth grade. Since he has been coaching at the school since 2021, many of the athletes have played under Nafziger for nearly their entire high school career. 

One student who has been through the ranks with Nafziger is senior Darrien Brown. He has played under Nafziger all four years of his high school career and can speak to the character of “Coach Mike” as a player on his teams. Although his entire high school career has been coached by Nafziger, Brown recognizes unique things about his coach from other coaches he has had. 

“I would say he really cares but he doesn’t sugarcoat anything,” Brown said. “He holds you accountable for every single thing. Whether you are the best player or the worst, he treats everybody the same.”  

A major aspect to this team includes trust. Whether that is trust in the teammates, coaches, or the players themselves, trust is ingrained into each practice and game played. With the trust comes motivation for the players, especially when everyone is communicating. 

“Once everybody gets together, the whole team becomes motivated,” Brown said. “If one person is doing the right thing, the whole team is going to try and do the right thing too.”  

Of all of the players that have been coached by Nafziger, there is one student who is not only new to the team, but also new to the country. Tomas Herrera, a junior, is originally from Mexico. Although Herrera has not had experience under Nafziger yet, he has picked up on his no-nonsense attitude. 

“He can be hard sometimes but he always moves for the best for the team,” Herrera said. “He's willing to teach everybody how to play basketball.”  

One of Nafziger’s biggest supporters other than his players would be athletic director Pierre Rivera, who has worked closely with Nafziger, having been head coach of the basketball team that Nafziger now runs. 

“He understands how to motivate them to get the best out of them and he relates to them like no other,” Rivera said. “He cares 100%.  I need people here that actually care and they're not here for their own ego.” 

For Nafziger, the court is where he feels his best, even having said to the team “The gym has always been my church. I am not here to be your friend, I am here to be your coach.”

While the season is yet to start, the players have a respect for Nafziger, regardless of winning or losing. The Dons will begin their season playing Barry Goldwater at home on  Nov. 18.