Rick McConnell one of 14 to be enshrined in Pima Couny Sports Hall of Fame

October 25, 2014 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Dobson boys basketball coach Rick McConnell will have a home away from home where his father, Dick McConnell, and former high school mentor Buddy Doolen reside on Sunday (Oct. 26). It's a home of sorts yet a good one to be a resident.

Rick McConnell will be enshrined along with 13 other former athletes and coaches at the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame's 25th Recognition and Induction Ceremony at the Holiday Inn, 4550 S. Palo Verde Blvd. in Tucson. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m.

"It's a neat deal," McConnell said, not wanting to make a lot of fanfare of it, but proud nonetheless for the honor. "It's kind a combination deal. Stuff I've done in high school, college and coaching."

It's a lot of stuff. McConnell was a basketball and baseball standout in the early-mid 1970s at Sahuaro High. He started on Sahuaro's varsity basketball team for three years and started at shortstop helping lead the Cougars to state championships in 1973 and 1974. McConnell was also on the 1976 University of Arizona national championship baseball team. He helped coach basketball at Sahuaro and has been Dobson's head basketball coach for the last 30 years.

Others with Pima County ties to be inducted on Sunday are: David Adams (Sunnyside football athlete), George Arias (Pueblo baseball athlete), Michael Bates (Amphitheater football/track athlete), Dennis Bene (Salpointe football coach/athlete), Mario Castro (Sunnyside cross country athlete), Jim Crawford, (Rincon baseball/basketball athlete), Jim Flannery (Salpointe coach basketball-golf), Frank Garcia (Salpointe football athlete), Lacey Nymeyer-John (Marana Mtn. View swimming athlete), Ray Kosanke (Tucson High, basketball/track athlete), Sandy Marten Novak (Sahuaro girls track/volleyball coach), Oscar Reyes Romero (Tucson baseball athlete/coach) and Tee Thelma Taylor (Catalina graduate/skydiving-coach/athlete).