J. Dawson - Head Coach
Chaparral High School opened its doors for the 1972-73 school year and played its first season of varsity baseball in the spring of 1974 with Coach Jerry Dawson at the helm. He has occupied that position every spring since. Chaparral Baseball has enjoyed tremendous success over the years qualifying for post-season play 31 of the 33 years it has been eligible. Chaparral Baseball has won 21 region championships, finished in the "final four" 16 times, state runner up on four occasions and state champions seven times. Chaparral Baseball has had over 120 young men who have gone on to play at the college and/or professional levels.
Coach Dawson has been selected "Coach of the Year" nine times. He has also been selected national "Coach of the Year" on two occasions. He served as an assistant coach on the USA Baseball Junior National team in 2004, which competed in the World Games in Chinese Taipei. He served as the Head Coach of the USA Baseball Junior National team in 2005, which won the silver medal in the Pan Am games in Mexico.
Coach Dawson taught Physical Education at Chaparral for 30+ years and served as the school's athletic director for 20+ years before retiring in 2004.
G. LaFevers -Associate Head Coach
Garye LaFevers is entering his second year with the Chaparral Firebirds, working with infielders and continuing to assist with the pitching staff. This follows stints at Mesa Skyline, Buckeye Union (3A State Runner-ups in 1990) and Hayden High School (2A State Champions in 1997). LaFevers, a 23 year coaching veteran (16 as a Head Coach) has been honored as the top coach in the region 6 times (90, 91,92,94,97 & 2000). In 1997, he was selected as both the 2A Coach of the Year and the Arizona Coaches Association's "Arizona Coach of the Year". This same year he was a finalist for the (ABCA) American Baseball Coaches Association's National Coach of the Year.
Coach LaFevers is the President of the (AzBCA) Arizona Baseball Coaches Association, after serving as the Director of Publicity and on the Sun Belt Committee in various positions including assistant coach, Head Coach and Director. The AzBCA currently sends two teams to Oklahoma each summer to compete against the best players from other states. The Senior Sun Belt Team of 2006 was crowned the tournament Champion, after defeating Team Texas. The AzBCA also hosts 5 All-Star games each June as well as the Super 50 Game held at Chase Field.
LaFevers is also recognized for his contributions to the high school game on the national level, selected as the Region 7 Chairman and sitting on the (BCA) National High School Baseball Coaches Association's board of directors since 2004 before being asked serve as the as the 2nd Vice President this past December.
LaFevers has been involved with USA Baseball in various positions since 2000; technical committee (2000-2002), Youth National Team Trials Coach (2002), USA Junior Olympic Tournament Site Supervisor (2003), Pitching Coach for the Youth National Team (silver medal) that participated in the Pan American Games in Lagos, Mexico and for the 2005 Youth National Team (silver medal) in Monterrey, Mexico during the International Baseball Federation's World Champions.
In November of 2005, he was named the Head Coach of the 2006 Youth National Team which competed this past August in the COPABE Pan American Games held in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. This group of Americans (age 16 and under) went undefeated, finishing as Pan American Champions, by posting a 9-0 record. The gold medal was captured with a 13-3 victory over Venezuela.
An Arizona native, LaFevers is a graduate of Arizona State University (1986) and has earned a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. He has two daughters, Carissa and Kaelyn, both students here in the Valley of the Sun.
Ron Davini
- Executive Director NHSBCA
- High School Baseball Coach for 36 years
- 2005 NHSCA Baseball Coach of the Year
- 2006 Assistant Coach Chaparral High School
Ron completed 34 years of coaching and teaching in the Tempe Union High School District in 2005. He was the head coach at Corona del Sol High School for 28 years and his team accumulated 410 wins, one state championship, one runner up and 14 of 27 years of qualifying for the state tournament.
Ron has also coached on the national and international levels with the USA Baseball Program. He coached in 3 gold metal games, winning 2 gold and 1 silver. Also appeared in one bronze game and won that medal for our country. He works as an advisor and tournament director for USA Baseball on different levels.
Ron is now the executive director of the National High School Baseball Coaches Association. He took over this position in January and has just completed a successful national clinic in St. Louis , MO.
Ron has been inducted into 2 Hall of Fames (ACA and AzBCA) and was selected in 1995 by Walt Disney Productions as one of the Top 60 Teachers in America.
M. Miller
Dave Brennen - Pitching Coach
Dave Brennan begins his first year as a member of the Firebird coaching staff after serving in the same capability at Pinnacle for the past seven years. He brings enthusiasm and an understanding of the requirements of being a successful pitcher to the program.
He graduated from Coronado High School in 1985 as a member of the All-Arizona was a pitcher and was named the Scottsdale Player of the Year.
After high school, Dave attended San Diego State University and Louisiana Tech University. He finished his playing career with 2 years of professional baseball in the independent league.
Dave is a native of Arizona, married to his wife Penny for 13 years and has two children, Brooks and Bailey.