ALA football shakeup: Ty Detmer to Gilbert North, Rich Edwards back at Queen Creek

In a major shakeup in the American Leadership Academy charter schools football family, Ty Detmer is leaving ALA Queen Creek to become head coach at ALA Gilbert North, replacing Randy Ricedorff, who was let go in January, a source familiar with the move confirmed to The Arizona Republic.

In addition, former ALA Queen Creek coach Rich Edwards is returning to the school he led to a 3A title in 2019 and will lead that football program and be the athletic director, the source confirmed.

ALA QC football booster group board, in an email to The Republic, said Jeff Oliverson will be transitioning from his AD position at ALA Queen Creek and filling that role at ALA Gilbert North, which Ricedorff also handled.

Detmer led ALA Queen Creek to the last three eight-team Open Division state playoffs — which takes the top eight teams from among 4A, 5A and 6A. His team lost to Basha in the quarterfinals each of the past two seasons.

The booster group reached out to The Republic, expressing their displeasure over losing Detmer to the Gilbert North school, suggesting it's a public-relations move to try to rebuild the Gilbert school's image.

There has been scrutiny from community activists directed at ALA Gilbert North over the late-October fatal beating of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek and the "Gilbert Goons," a gang of mostly affluent teenagers who have been linked to assaults in the southeast Valley for more than a year. Parents and students focused on the school after Lord's death, accusing administrators and coaches of bending the rules to protect one of his attackers. Authorities investigating the case have not released the name of anyone from the school charged in the attack.

The booster club wants American Leadership Academy executives to put a pause on the coaching move until it can meet with them. The booster club board members signing the email are Brianne Jensen and Jared Jensen, co-presidents; Bob Nesbit and Dylan Matsumori, co-vice presidents, Richie Pew, secretary; and Jon Stowell, treasurer.

A copy of a letter sent to ALA Queen Creek parents was also sent to The Republic, in part, saying, "We’ve heard intense disappointment from many of you about this development, and on behalf of the Gridiron Club executive board (the “Booster Club”), we share wholeheartedly in your disappointment."

The letter was signed by the ALA Patriots Gridiron Club Board.

The board added in the letter, "The departure of our head coach, a pivotal figure in our school’s athletic and community spirit, and the unquestionable figurehead of a program that has earned its way to the highest levels of 6A high school football, may not only diminish the morale and support of our students and parents but also the continuity and success of our football program, which has been a source of pride and unity for our community."

Edwards, who has been working as the ALA district athletic director, led ALA Queen Creek to a 14-0 3A championship season in 2019, after which the school started to make the move up conferences every year based on success. It currently competes in 6A for football.

Ricedoff led ALA Gilbert North to the 4A championship two seasons ago and into the 5A playoffs last season.

But he was fired due to "practical and philosophical differences," according to Chris Moss, who oversees all 17 of ALA's elementary and high school campuses in the state.

Along with these moves, Joe Germaine has left Mesa Mountain View to become the head coach and athletic director at one of American Leadership Academy's newest schools in Mesa. Germaine, who led Mountain View to the 1993 state championship at quarterbacks, led his alma mater the past three seasons, posting 8-3 records in his first and last year there.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ALA football: Ty Detmer to Gilbert North, Rich Edwards to Queen Creek