Weber named Crims’ hoops coach

Yuma High football coach will remain in that role while also taking over basketball

A longtime local football coach is taking on a new challenge.

Yuma High’s Curt Weber, who’s entering year five of stint three as the Criminals’ head football coach, has officially been named the school’s new boys basketball coach, a role he assumes while maintaining his football responsibilities.

The hire, which has been in the works since earlier this month, was formally approved by the Yuma Union High School District on Wednesday.

For Weber, the decision to apply for the boys basketball opening came down to timing and doing what he thought was best for the school. As it became clear that there was no obvious replacement for Tyler Swartzendruber, who resigned from the role following last season, Weber figured he could be the one to step in and give the program stability — and he knew it would be a seamless transition for the kids, seeing how a number of key basketball players are also members of the football team.

“I just felt like I could offer my services at this time, and I think it’s going to work out,” Weber said. “Obviously being the head coach of two major sports back-toback is going to be a challenge, but I feel like I’ve got a real good staff football-wise and same thing for basketball. I think because I have good assistants, I think we’ll be able to pull it off, at least this year.”

Weber boasts decades of coaching experience on the football field, but his basketball coaching background consists only of a few years as an assistant at Kofa in the 1970s and then the past two years as an assistant under Swartzendruber at Yuma High.

“I’ve always had an interest in basketball, I’ve just always been identified as a football coach,” Weber said. “It’s not like I haven’t done it before.”

Weber, who’s in his 42nd year in the district, has totaled 15 seasons as a head football coach coach, counting this one; first at Kofa from 1980-85, and then at Yuma High from 1992-93, 1997-98 and finally 2013-present.

Much like the Yuma High football program — which has posted seven straight

Buy this photo at YumaSun.com PHOTO BY GRADY GARRETT/YUMA SUN YUMA HIGH FOOTBALL COACH CURT WEBER directs players during an informal workout Wednesday at Yuma High. Weber was officially hired as the Criminals’ new varsity boys basketball coach on Wednesday. He will remain the school’s football coach, as well.