The St. Louis School Board fired one legend as Vashon High School, so it was inevitable they hire another. Legendary boys basketball coach Floyd Irons was fired earlier this year after it was found he mishandled thousands of district dollars. Irons was not only a coach who won numerous Missouri state championships in his 33 year career, but he was also a fixture in the St. Louis inner city.
Anthony Bonner is a Vashon graduate and former player under Irons. After his stint at Vashon, Bonner went on to star at nearby Saint Louis University and play six seasons in the NBA. Monday, Bonner was announced as the new boys basketball head coach at his alma mater.
While Bonner intends to use teachings learned from his days playing for Irons, it is unclear how tight their relationship really is. Irons reportedly does not support Bonner as the new coach and was not in attendance during the press conference to introduce Bonner. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Irons refused to comment on Bonner’s appointment.
Bonner enters the position with no previous coaching experience. Several Vashon players thought about transferring to another school, but many of them have decided to stay and play for Bonner.