Stephen Singleton of Roosevelt named 2024-25 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year

Stephen Singleton led Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) to a 35-2 record, the program's first Open Division state championship and the No. 2 spot in the final MaxPreps Top 25 high school basketball rankings.

In recognition of his efforts and success, Singleton has been named the 2024-25 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year.

"It's a huge honor," Singleton said of the honor. "With all the coaches across the nation and to be named Coach of the Year, it means a lot. We had some talented guys that were coachable. They gave me and gave my coaching staff the opportunity to push them to their limits at time and challenge them to be the best that they can be."

"I got into coaching because I had some great mentors growing up with little league baseball and then youth basketball and going into high school and college," Singleton said. "Every level that I played I just had great coaches and great men who have just kind of spoke into my life and helped me out.

"I didn't have a father growing up. My parents split when I was six and then my father passed away. So coaches became father figures to me and they kind of helped guide me. I wanted to give back when I was done playing and I wanted to kind of do the same thing."

Singleton became the head coach at Dominguez in 2000-01 at the age of 27, leading the Dons to the Division II state championship behind senior Tyson Chandler. He stepped away following his lone season before coming back as an assistant at Dominguez in 2003.

In 2007, Singleton became an assistant coach at Roosevelt before stepping into the role as head coach in 2015-16.

Following last's year's playoff loss to Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), Singleton had a hunch that his program was destined for big things in 2024-25.

"I felt like what we had coming back with Brayden Burries, Issac Williamson and Myles Walker was such a strong foundation and honestly the very next day those kids were extremely motivated to get back to where we were," Singleton said. "I felt like we could be very special because those three guys right there and then the pieces we had also returning Dominic Copenhagen, just a glue guy, and then Jackson Haggins was going to come back as a junior after getting a little bit of time as a sophomore."

Although Roosevelt didn't start a player taller than 6-foot-5, Singleton said the small lineup had its advantages.

"That gave us the opportunity to play fast and not have to wait for a big man to get into position or get down into the paint," Singleton said. "We are just going to run and pick up full court man-to-man defense and things like that to speed the game up."

Burries, regarded as a top 10 prospect in the Class of 2025, had a spectacular senior campaign for the Mustangs. The 6-5 guard averaged 29.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals per contest. He broke the Open Division championship game record by erupting for 44 points in a 20-point victory against Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco). 

"He's just a humble young man who loves to play basketball," Singleton said of Burries. "It was just a blessing being able to coach a young man with the talent that he has and somebody who is a competitor."

In addition to the contributions of his players, Singleton singled out his assistant coaches as big pieces of the championship puzzle.

"We wouldn't be able to do what we did this year without them and I wouldn't be named Coach of the Year without them," Singleton said. "They have been with me for many, many years. So I am just blessed with my coaching staff, its a great group of men and they are great mentors to our guys."

In addition to coaching, Singleton has been a health teacher for over 20 years.