TODD FAZIO
Todd Fazio enters his 27th year in coaching and his 21st year as a head coach, boasting an impressive career record of 328-195. Currently leading Highland High School’s basketball program, Coach Fazio embarks on his 7th season at the helm, where he has cemented his legacy as the winningest coach in the school’s history with 107 victories. Under his guidance, Highland Basketball has achieved remarkable success, earning him the title of Central Region Coach of the Year three times (2022, 2023, 2024).
Highland Basketball Achievements Under Coach Fazio:
2018-19: 8-18
2019-20: 17-9, 6A State Tournament 2nd Round
2020-21: 13-5, 6A State Tournament 2nd Round
2021-22: 19-7, 6A State Tournament 2nd Round
2022-23: 29-3, 6A State Champions
2023-24: 21-8, 6A Quarterfinals
The 2022-23 season marked a historic milestone for Highland as the Hawks captured their first-ever 6A State Championship, finishing 29-3 and dominating Central Region play with a perfect 10-0 record. In the 2023-24 season, Highland followed up with a 21-8 record, claiming another Central Region title (8-2) and advancing to the 6A Quarterfinals.
Before Highland, Coach Fazio served as the head coach at Red Mountain High School (2013-18), where his teams averaged 17 wins per season and qualified for the Arizona state tournament each year. In his final season, the Mountain Lions finished 18-9, setting a school record with an 11-game win streak and clinching the East Valley Region title with a 9-1 record. Fazio earned East Valley Region Coach of the Year honors in 2017.
Prior to Red Mountain, Fazio led Desert Mountain High School’s basketball program for eight seasons (2005-13). His tenure included a 146-83 record, a 2007 5A State Championship, two Final Four appearances (2011, 2013), and state tournament berths every year. Fazio was named 5A Coach of the Year in 2007 and received Desert Valley Region Coach of the Year honors four times (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013).
Coach Fazio’s earlier coaching experience includes roles at Horizon High School in Arizona, Waukee High School, and Estherville-Lincoln Central High School in Iowa. He also served as a graduate assistant at Bemidji State University, where he played collegiately from 1996-98, serving as a two-year captain and leading the team in assists and steals.
A native of Iowa, Fazio was a 3-sport athlete at West Des Moines Valley High School. As a basketball standout, he was a captain on the 1993 Iowa 4A State Championship team and a 4A First Team All-State selection his senior year.
Coach Fazio is a founding member of the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA) and currently serves as the Director of Coach Development & Programs.
He resides in Gilbert, Arizona, with his wife, Charlene, and their daughter, Isabella (16).