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28 • GCU MAGAZ I NE
Lope legacy
Winningest high school and middle school basketball coaches
in Arizona history have GCU in common — and much more
B Y R I C K V A C E K
T
he basketball legacies of Gary Ernst
and J.C. Helton aren’t just linked
by their coaching statistics. That’s
merely a good place to start.
Ernst has won 860 games, more than any
high school coach in Arizona history.
Helton retired with 847 victories, more than
any middle school coach in Arizona history.
So, yes, both have sustained excellence on
their legacy ledgers. But they have so much
more in common. Perseverance. Passion for
fundamentals, teamwork and chemistry. High
basketball IQ. An unabashed love of the game.
Great old stories to tell.
Oh, and one other thing: Both played
basketball at Grand Canyon, for coach Ben
Lindsey when he was starting out toward
winning 317 games, the most in school history.
One coach begets two more, and they
combine for 2,024 victories. Think it’s just a
coincidence? They don’t think so, either.
“I knew when they went into coaching
that they were going to make good coaches,”
Lindsey said. “That competitive spirit carried
over into their coaching. They both worked
very hard. I’m proud of them.”
Both former players speak in equally
glowing terms about their old coach, and
Helton’s relationship with Lindsey goes beyond
his playing days — he later served as his
GCU
Alumni
J.C. Helton (left) and Gary Ernst have turned their passion
for basketball into record-setting coaching careers.