Coaching Staff
John Ortega
A Native of Phoenix Arizona, John Ortega played HS Basketball for State Powerhouse Trevor G Browne in the late 90’s under coach Michael Ellsworth, before playing his College Career at Dixie State (now Utah Tech). Coach Ortega Graduated from the University of Arizona and began his coaching career at South Mountain HS under Coach David Grace (former Assistant Coach UCLA, Vanderbilt, & Oregon St).
Coach JO as he's better known was a part of State Championships at South Mountain, Gilbert Christian, and Rancho Solano High Schools and Final 4 teams at Desert Mountain and Camelback HS.
Coach J) has been coaching AAU for the past 20 seasons and has been a interictal part of helping over 300 players receive college scholarships and over 60 players go on to play professional basketball including 9 NBA players.
Coach JO is the Co-Founder of PHHoenix Prep with his good friend Coach Kirk Fauske and heads up the program’s Overtime Elite Team as well as assists with the college recruiting.
Derek Biale
Coach Derek Biale attended Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California. He won a CIF Southern Section Division 2A Championship and California Division 2 State Championship in 2013 while being awarded California Division 2 Player of the Year and MaxPreps Third Team All State.
He then accepted a full ride scholarship to attend Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado where he is still the current record holder for most assists in a single game with 16 assists. In 2017, he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology: Fitness and Health Promotion.
After graduating, he began his coaching career at Pinnacle High School and won the 6A Arizona State Championship as an assistant coach in 2019. In 2021, Coach Biale joined the staff at PHHoenix Prep and is now currently the Director of Player Development. He has worked with multiple collegiate and professional basketball players helping them take their game to the next level.
Jesse Brown
Jesse Brown will be entering his first season as the associate head coach for the PHH Prep OTE Squad in 2023-2024 (Overtime Elite season). His last stop was at Central Arizona College (NJCAA D1). Prior to that he spent four years as the associate head coach at NCAA D2 University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). During the 4 years at UAF the program saw more wins each season culminating by winning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament in 2022. It was the first time accomplishing the feat in school history and the UAF Nanooks went on to upset the #1 and #5 seed in the NCAA D2 Tournament before falling short of the west region championship title in the sweet 16.
Coach Brown has a Bachelor's degree in history from the University of Alaska Anchorage as well as a Master's Degree in Human Performance and Physical Education with an emphasis in Coaching from Adams State University.
Overall Coach Brown has 18 years of coaching experience, 16 years of college coaching experience at the junior college level and NCAA D2 level. His coaching career began in Anchorage Alaska as a head coach at the high school level, transitioned to an assistant coach at his alma mater Tacoma Community College where he helped the program to multiple region championships and an NWAC title in 2012.
In 2014, Coach Brown spent two seasons at Green River Community College where the team broke a school record for wins and reached the final 4 of the NWAC Tournament. In 2016, Coach Brown returned to his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska as an assistant coach at University of Alaska Anchorage, where he finished his playing career from 2001-2004, for two seasons. Both years UAA reached the conference tournament.
In 2018, in state rival UAF made Coach Brown the Associate head coach where he spent the next four years building a program that had been depleted. In his time at UAF, he helped develop Two Time All American Shadeed Shabazz, who in his first year as a Nanook was the GNAC Player of the Year, GNAC Newcomer of the Year, and GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. During his coaching career, Coach Brown has helped develop 10 professional basketball players and several D1 players.
Coach Brown resides in Tempe, AZ and has one daughter, Haddie Brown (2015).
David Thomas
David Thomas begins his first season as head coach of the Phhoenix Fire Prep Post Grad program in 2023. He makes the move to come home after spending the past two seasons at Westminster University where he helped coach the NCAA Division-II Griffins to their first post season birth in program history during their 2022-23 campaign.
Coach Thomas earned his Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership while serving as an Assistant Coach at Colorado Christian from 2017-2019.
Thomas is no stranger to Arizona basketball or to director John Ortega. His college coaching experience comes on the heels of successful youth coaching background where he was most recently, with Coach John Ortega, the Director and Head Coach for Power Basketball Academy in Tucson, Ariz.-- a program that produced over 50 NCAA and NAIA student-athletes under Thomas' watch. In addition to his AAU responsibilities, Thomas also held two separate high school head coaching positions, earning several Division III Coach of the Year accolades in 2016.
His coaching career dates back to his time as a student-athlete at Southwestern College (now Arizona Christian University) where he played soccer and basketball from 2006-2010. While attending SWC, he got his start in coaching at the youth level with Ironwood Ridge HS, Paradise Valley HS and Pusch Ridge Christian Academy Middle School.
Coach Thomas lives in the Gilbert area with his wife Ashley (m. 2011) and their two sons, Christopher Landon (ten) and Benjamin Dean (five).
Barry Jones
Married/Two Children
Born: July 15, 1981 (43yr old)
From: Seattle WA
HS Graduate: Cleveland HS Seattle, WA
College Graduate: Saint Augustine’s University Raleigh, NC
Mother/Father: Michelle Jones-Ray & Barry Ray
Coaching Bio/Experience:
17yrs coaching prep basketball
2yrs NBA Player Development Coach San Antonio Spurs
Grind Session 2021 Runner-Up
EIBC Final Four 2024
94 win in 4 season as BFL Prep Head Coach
63 D1/D2/D3/NAIA players in six seasons
2024 Boarder League Champions
3 Gatorade POYS
2 McDonalds All-Americans
#1 NBA Draft Pick Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
Dave Novak
Dave Novak, a New Jersey native, has been an integral part of Powerhouse Hoops since its inception, achieving success at every level. In 2020, Novak took over the struggling ALA Gilbert North High School basketball program, transforming it into a dominant force. Novak is renowned for building teams that thrive on chemistry, play with passion, and exude a genuine joy on the court. His players are known for their unity, energy, and love for the game, all while being guided by a deeper purpose. Novak's coaching is rooted in his faith in Jesus Christ, instilling values of humility, teamwork, and grace in every player, ensuring they not only excel on the court but also grow as individuals.
Key Accomplishments:
- Back-to-back Undefeated Region Championships
- #2 and #11 rankings in the Open Division
- Two appearances in the Open Division Sweet Sixteen
- 4A Final Four appearance
Coaching Experience:
- Indiana Gym Rats (Indiana)
- Always100
- AZ Power
- Powerhouse Hoops
- Team Novak
- Hunter’s Elite
- ALA Gilbert North HS
Frank Saric
- 30 of experience in playing/coaching
- Turned pro out of high school
- Played pro in Europe from 1995-2007
- Coaching from 2007- current
- Coached 17U Adidas circuit team last season
- Young Allstars Euro Nations all first team MVP 1998
- Averaged 22pts / 11rb