The Moncibaezes are headed for the red rocks.

After three years at Mingus Union High School, Dave Moncibaez was named head coach of the girls basketball program at Sedona Red Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 23.

Moncibaez, who went 19-36 over three seasons with his father, Art, as co-coaches of the Marauders, replaces Joe Donaldson, whose commitments with his job with Yavapai County prevented him from returning despite a 22-13 record over two seasons as head coach.

“It was hard walking away from Mingus, but I like a challenge,” Moncibaez said. “I’ve been surrounded with huge support from Sedona, and I want to be part of maintaining that program for the girls. I think Sedona has a lot of talent there — they just need to get out in the gym and have some fun with it.”

The student coming first in the student-athlete concept is the primary shared value for Moncibaez and SRRHS, he said.

“I see that the girls want it, and the parents too,” Moncibaez said. “These girls have gone through a lot, several coaches. They had no stability. By giving them that stability, it gives buy-in to other girls.”

Moncibaez looks to first build excitement and fill the gymnasium for a moribund Scorpions program that is on its third head coach in four years despite making the state tournament in each of the last two seasons.

“They lost their JV program last year, and we’ve got to get that program up and rolling, or the girls are just not going to go out,” said Moncibaez, who named former Flagstaff High School assistant Stephanie Tomlinson as head coach of the junior varsity. “I really, truly believe getting them in the gym will keep them in the gym; then they’re going to stay in the gym.”

Reports from open gyms reflect a core of 15 players who will vie for playing time for Moncibaez or Tomlinson, both of whom teach full-time at Cottonwood Middle School.

“I have no plans on cuts,” Moncibaez said. “We just don’t have the numbers.”

By the start of first practice Monday, Nov. 2, at 4:30 p.m., Moncibaez hopes to get at least five more girls out in addition to that core.

“That would actually allow us to do different looks defensively,” he said. “We like to put pressure on, and it’s hard to put pressure sometimes when they’re in foul trouble. You need those extra bodies to give good minutes.”

So while Art Moncibaez is “just an assistant,” in his own words, providing advice and in-game tips to his son, Steve Moncibaez, the head coach’s brother, will be helping out as a defensive assistant.

“I like traps — [they] just create that next pass,” Steve Moncibaez said. “We also have zone and straight man-to-man presses.

“We’re going to a school, in Sedona, where the [athletic director] is a coach and about the student-athlete.”

For the full story, please see the Friday, Oct. 23, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.