I N T R O D U C T I O N
Coach DJ Harting
Coach Dennis J. Harting earned his BS in Criminology during the spring of 2007 and completed his Teaching Credential in Physical Education in the fall of 2009; both fromCalifornia State University, Fresno. A graduate of Davis Senior High School, this consummate professional has been coaching basketball for 21 years while being a head coach at various levels for eighteen. Coach Harting entered into the teaching realm in order to pursue his passion for coaching. "I recognized that becoming a teacher was an extension of my coaching endeavors. Call it what you will, both disciplines require a tremendous amount of commitment and work ethic that are necessary to be competitive and successful in life. Lessons can be learned and valued through each outlet."
Entering his third year working for Cupertino Union School District and second year teaching Physical Education at Cupertino Middle School, Coach Harting continues working with 7th & 8th Graders. Coaching 6th Grade Boys Basketball this season and 8th Grade his first year has brought him closer to his students. During his first year in the district, the coach was travelling between four campuses to teach 4th/5th Grade Physical Education; Dilworth, Muir, Nimitz & Sedgwick Elementary Schools.
A second season coaching the Waldorf School of the Peninsula Mavericks was his 22nd season of coaching high school basketball. Continuing to work with very young player, the next few years should be a great time of discovery, growth and improvement.
The 2017-18 season was a great success as this long-time high school coach joined the Westmont Warriors program after moving to the Central Coast Section. Finishing league play alone in second place (7-3), the ladies surprised many by vastly improving from a very slow start to the year. Taking on the Junior Varsity duties, Coach Harting made sure these underclassmen had the solid fundamentals necessary to compete at the next level.
Coach Harting took on the challenge of developing lower level players at Casa Roble High School during the 2016-17 season. This aspiring program has been rebuilding over the past three seasons and this academic school is looking to reach the playoffs after a number of challenging years ending at the bottom of the league standings. With the anticipation of an increasing demeanor of competitive relentlessness and desire to fiercely play for four quarters, look for the Rams to be contenders soon.
In an attempt to reduce his travel distance, Coach Harting spent two years as the varsity boys & girls 1st assistant at Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, where his efforts served both teams well. With a newly remodeled gym facility, the experienced coach helped the girls team to two consecutive undefeated league titles and the boys to a league co-championship during his second season, (2014-2016).
Following an eight-year absence from Northern California, the fall of 2013 saw the coach rejoin the coaching staff at Rio Linda High School where he headed the junior varsity girls’ team and assisted the varsity squad. Experiencing the best of the game that the Central Valley had to offer, the time was right to return home to familiar surroundings. Previously coaching the freshman team for four seasons (2001-2005), Coach Harting assisted with taking this program to where it had never been before through spring & summer basketball leagues, hosting summer & winter tournaments, and traveling out of state with the varsity teams to participate in a number of events.
Prior to his return to the Sacramento Area, Coach Harting spent one final year working as a substitute teacher in the Clovis Unified School District (3 years), while returning to the court as an assistant boys coach at Clovis High School. Working with the girls varsity team over the summer of 2012 with practices, league games and tournaments, he jumped over to the boys program to become the varsity 1st assistant coach for the regular season. Supporting the program’s teams during the spring & summer, he had the opportunity to work with players at every level while traveling to a number of out of town tournaments.
With the completion of his teaching credential, Coach Harting began his varsity head coaching career when asked to rebuild the girls’ basketball program at Sanger High School. As a full-time physical education teacher and the head varsity girls coach for two seasons (2010-2012), he started a number of youth programs to provide opportunities in order to create interest for younger players to learn the sport. Additionally, he challenged all his players to reach goals through hard work and discipline, while always striving for excellence on and off of the court throughout the school year.
Moving to Fresno in order to complete his undergraduate degree and pursue his teaching credential, Coach Harting became the junior varsity girls’ head basketball coach for Clovis West High School during the summer of 2005. Accumulating an impressive four-year record of 79-17 and winning three league titles along the way, the coach was asked to pull double duty for the program as he joined the varsity level to become an assistant coach. Additionally, Coach Harting took over the head coaching duties at Kastner Intermediate School with the 7th grade team during the 2009-2010 season. Balancing all of the travel and responsibilities during this extended time, the intermediate team went undefeated, while the varsity squad was undefeated for a fifth consecutive year in league play and reached the CIF State Southern Regional Final after winning the Central Section Title for a third of four consecutive tries (2007, 2008 & 2010). Coaching year-round and working with players from all grade levels, with the success of his spring AAU and summer club teams, this made for incredible consistency that had a tremendous positive effect impacting the high school’s program from top to bottom. Coach Harting states that “These were my most influential years of coaching basketball!”
In Coach Harting’s second season of coaching, he made his head coaching debut with the freshman girls’ team at Granite Bay High School for the 2000-2001 season. The young coach acquired his first regular season assignment in 1997, and it was at that time that he truly realized his calling. Rio Americano High School hired the new coach as the 1st assistant for their varsity boys’ basketball team. Upon completion of the year, Coach Harting took on a new full-time job which delayed his days in the gym for two years.
A two-year varsity player, receiving the "Most Improved Player" award as a senior and "Most Inspirational" award as a freshman, Coach Harting decided to explore his interest in coaching upon graduation. Seamlessly moving over to the sideline to assist with his high school's varsity squad prior to leaving home for college, the following summer saw the young coach take things up a notch by becoming a camp counselor at College of the Siskiyous during their girls’ summer camp.
Updated: March 22, 2020
Sanger Apaches Game Highlights
Sanger High School
County All-Stars
County All-Stars
Rio Linda High School
Optimist All-Stars
Optimist All-Stars
Clovis West Coaches to UConn
Sanger HS 2011-2012
Sanger HS 2010-2011
Coach Harting 2010-2011
