ST. LOUIS — Legendary Vashon High School basketball Head Coach Tony Irons is making the leap to the college level.
Irons will take over as head coach at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Missouri. He will replace former Head Coach Greg Heiar, now with Trinity Valley Community College.
“The opportunity to coach at Vashon took my career to the next level,” Irons said in a news release. “We had an incredible amount of success, and I want to thank every one of the quality young men who came through our program, embraced what we were doing, and worked tirelessly to be the best. I would not be blessed with this new opportunity without them.”
He led Vashon to seven Missouri state championships, including the last four in a row. They most recently won the Class 5 Final after defeating John Burroughs 68-37. Overall in his career, he has accumulated an overall record of 216-38.
“Coach Irons helped to highlight so many of the great attributes of our student-athletes here in Saint Louis Public Schools. We are incredibly excited to watch him climb to the elite levels of his profession," SLPS superintendent Dr. Keisha Scarlett said in the release.
Prior to Vashon, Irons coached at Madison College Prep, Imagine College Prep and Colleg of the Ozarks. He won an NAIA National Championship at College of the Ozarks in 2006. As a student-athlete, Irons won a Missouri State Championship at Lutheran North High School in 2002.
"We are excited to have Coach Irons as the 6th Head Coach in Mineral Area College Basketball History. Tony's experience developing high level athletes in the Midwest will propel MAC Basketball to the next level," MAC Athletic Director Jim Gerwitz said in a release.
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