Corner Canyon High School in Draper hires new assistant principal, basketball coaches

Corner Canyon recently hired its assistant principal and boys’ and girls’ basketball coaches as construction of the high school building continues toward an August 2013 opening. Hiring of academic department chairs and a head librarian are anticipated.

The school already has a principal, head counselor, registrar, athletic director and head secretary.

Brian McGill was named assistant principal this fall. The former principal and CEO of Academy of Math, Engineering and Science in Murray has also been a counselor and tennis coach at Riverton High School and an assistant principal at Elk Ridge Middle School in South Jordan.

“I’m pretty stoked about the new high school,” McGill said. “It’s a lot of fun to be part of the new design and development of the school. We research, then create and implement the best practices to make our school great.”

McGill said part of the allure to come to Corner Canyon High School is to work in Draper, where he has lived.

“I graduated from Alta, so this way I’m able to give back to the community that made me who I am. I hope we will provide students a college-bound culture with AP (Advanced Placement) and concurrent enrollment classes and prepare them for the ACT (college examination) and with strong advising,” he said. “Corner Canyon will be a high school that focuses on academic rigor, but will also offer activities, sports, arts and cultural opportunities that help students become well-rounded.”

Charron Mason learned Nov. 6 that she was named to the head girls basketball coach, after serving as Bingham High School’s assistant coach for 11 years. She teaches AP History, U.S. History and financial literacy at Bingham.

“This is a great opportunity,” she said. “It’s going to be fun to start traditions for future generations. I’m pumped, but academics always are the most important. If you can’t perform in the classroom, you can’t perform on the court.”

She anticipates doing drills and competing in off-season tournaments in the spring and plans to run camps in the summer as part of building the program, starting with fundamentals for youth.

The new head boys basketball coach is Tony Cannon.

Cannon, who grew up on Fort Street, still lives in Draper and said that coaching at the high school in his hometown was the key that led him to leave Alta High School, where he has been the boys head or assistant basketball coach since 1994. He has taught U.S. History, government, physical education and German.

In April, he plans to begin training his new team, finding a gymnasium to use at another facility until Corner Canyon’s court is ready. He plans for his team to compete in off-season tournaments during the spring and summer before opening the season in the anticipated 4A bracket.

“I’m excited to get started working with the kids in the spring,” Cannon said. “We’re going to build the program, its traditions, and with each step, it gets more exciting. We’re going to play hard and do the best we’re capable of doing.”