After more than two years in the position, Don Burton is stepping down as athletic director at Sedona-Oak Creek School District. Burton will be moving to Brooksville, Fla., where he will become Central High School’s head basketball coach. His final day at SRRHS will be Friday, Oct. 23.
In addition to being the district’s athletic director, Burton was worked at SRRHS as the vice principal and an assistant coach for the girls basketball team under Kirk Westervelt.
A familiar face will be replacing Burton as athletic director. Pedro Ortega. coaches the baseball team in the spring and this winter will also step in as the head coach of the SRRHS boys basketball team, with Jon Cook serving as an assistant. Ortega had also previously worked as the head coach of the Sedona Red Rock Junior High School boys basketball team. That position has yet to be filled for the upcoming season.
When Burton was asked what he was most proud of accomplishing in Sedona, bringing stability to the coaching positions came immediately to his mind.
“Number one is getting coaches in place that I think are really good for our kids,” Burton said. “Holding kids accountable for getting their paperwork and everything so we know that when they go out there legally they should be out there because they’ve done what they have to do. Accountability is big to me.”
Burton seemed confident about his replacement.
“Pedro is going to step in and I think he’ll do a really good job,” he said. “Everything is in place for the winter and then the spring coaches are all coming back. I met with him for about two hours and am going to meet with him early next week and turn it over.”
Replacing Burton as assistant coach for the Scorpion girls’ basket ball team will be newcomer John Moulton.
The team was one of the best at SRRHS during the 2019-20 school year. With only one senior graduating last year, hopes are high again in the upcoming season. Burton identified working with that team as one of the things he’ll miss the most about being in Sedona.
But the opportunity to again be the head coach of a program was a major factor in the decision to make his move east with wife Heather Shaw-Burton, who will also be leaving her post as the district’s head of HR and finance.
“It’s been my love — my first love was coaching basketball,” Burton said. “I got that opportunity in Tampa — right outside Tampa — at a school with about 1,300 kids. They haven’t won lately. But with 1,300 kids you’re bound to have some players you can work with.”
Burton said that beyond the opportunity to be the head coach of another basketball program, a number of other things contributed to his decision to leave. He joked that he might someday detail all of those reasons in a book titled “My 50 Years in Education.”
But while Burton’s time at Sedona comprised only a small percentage of his half-century in education, he said the kids at SRRHS made a big impression on him.
“I appreciate everything I’ve had the opportunity to do,” Burton said. “One thing I said after my first year here is that in 50 years being in education, you’re not going to find better kids than they have here. It’s the best group of kids I’ve ever been around. They work really hard and they’re just really good kids.
“I’m very fortunate to have had those kids and I think things are in place to have a very successful school year.”
