Nation’s Top Coaches are First-Time Winners of Prestigious Award
ATLANTA (March 6, 2025) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today that Aundre Cummings of Ontario Christian High School (Ontario, Calif.) and Andrew Moran of Christopher Columbus High School (Miami) have been named the winners of the 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls and Boys Coach of the Year awards, respectively.
“Aundre and Andrew’s commitment and guidance have been crucial in their squads’ outstanding achievements this year,” said Eric Oberman, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “Their coaching and mentorship have driven their athletes’ impressive progress. Winning the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Coach of the Year Award highlights their excellence and contribution to the sport. Their influence extends beyond basketball, positively impacting their teams and communities.”
In his first year as the school’s head coach after serving as an assistant, Cummings has led his team to the No. 1 ranking in the country and a 29-1 record following their victory in the CIF Southern Section Open championship game on March 1. The championship appearance marked the school’s first-ever appearance in the game. The team is riding a 15-game winning streak heading into the 2025 CIF Girls State Basketball Championships where they will play their first game on Saturday, March 8.
“First, I’d like to thank everyone involved in making the decision for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Coach of the Year award. I am truly honored by this and humbled,” Cummings said. “I appreciate the recognition, as this award doesn’t shed light only on myself but Ontario Christian High School and the players that have trusted me with this position. Again, thank you so much.”
This is the first time in the award’s 18-year history that the winner has come from the same state in consecutive seasons. Sue Phillips from Archbishop Mitty in San Jose, Calif., won last year. This is the seventh time the Girls Coach of the Year has come from a California school, the most of any state.
Moran is also a first-time winner of this prestigious award. He has led his team to the No. 1 ranking in the country and the state with a 25-3 record heading into the FHSAA Class 7A state semifinals, which will be played tomorrow, March 7. He has been the head coach at Columbus High School since 2019 and has led his team to the last three 7A state championships.
A finalist for the award last year, Moran is the first coach from a school in Florida to be named the nation’s top coach, other than Kevin Boyle from Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), who has won the award three times at that school and four times overall.
He is the coach of the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Boys Player of the Year finalist Cameron Boozer. The senior is a three-time finalist for the award and has committed to Duke. The winner of that award will be announced tomorrow (March 7).
“The Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boys Coach of the Year award is a reflection of our entire program—our coaching staff, our players, and the culture we’ve built together at Christopher Columbus High School,” Moran said. “The Brotherhood here is special, and I’m incredibly proud to share this honor with everyone who makes our program what it is.”
A select group of basketball journalists from around the country, who form the Naismith Awards national high school board of selectors, vote on the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Coach of the Year, first presented in 2008. The judges evaluate the winners based on outstanding on-court coaching performances during the 2024-2025 high school basketball season.
“We’re thrilled that Jersey Mike’s is spotlighting these exceptional high school coaches who’ve made this season truly special,” said Jeff Hemschoot, vice president of marketing at Jersey Mike’s. “Aundre and Andrew exemplify the pinnacle of high school basketball coaching, and Jersey Mike’s wants to express our sincere appreciation for their unwavering commitment to developing young athletes and shaping the future of the sport.”
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Media Contact:
Mallory Hadaway, Atlanta Tipoff Club
mallory.hadaway@naismithtrophy.com
(256) 682-0599
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include AXIA Time, Jersey Mike’s, MOLECULE, Sharpie and Werner Ladder. For more information, visit www.naismithtrophy.com.
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