Arizona high school football coach loses home to fire a day after winning a state title

Just days after Basha (Ariz.) won the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Open Division state championship, tragedy has struck Bears’ head football coach Tim Kelly.

According to multiple reports, the Basha head football coach lost his home a day after leading the Bears to the Arizona AIA Open Division championship, a 34-7 victory over Chandler. It was the second time Basha had won Arizona’s Open Division championship since 2022.

Per a ABC 15 News report, Kelly, his family and pets were able to escape the fire unscathed but now are displaced, but the Arizona high school football community is coming together to his aid.

As of this morning, a GoFundMe effort has started to help Kelly and his family for expenses due to the fire destroying his home, with the fundraising now up to $37,214 so far this season. The GoFundMe page reads the following excerpt regarding helping Kelly.

Sunday night, a fire destroyed his home. All in the home made it out safely, including his two prized German Shepherds. He is going to need assistance to make it through this tough time.

While he works to rebuild his home, he is going to have to find a place that allows him to have dogs. Even with insurance, all these expenses are going to add up.

Let’s show Coach Kelly all the love that he has shown us through the years and help him get through this tough time. Any donation is helpful so that he makes it through this and lands back on his two feet.

Kelly, who was previously the team’s offensive line coach before being promoted to head football coach, in his first season leading Basha went 12-1 in leading Arizona’s top program.

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