ELKHART – Randy DeShone is the only boys basketball coach in Elkhart County history to claim a state championship.

Now, he will attempt to turn around the struggling program at Elkhart Central.

DeShone, who spent 20 years as the highly-successful coach at Jimtown High School, has been named the new coach of the Blue Blazers.

DeShone has spent the last three years out of coaching, serving as the assistant principal at Jimtown High School. He resigned as coach of the Jimmies in 2011 after going 241-201 in 20 seasons, the most wins by any coach in program history.

DeShone, who will teach Math at Elkhart Central, guided the Jimmies to a 25-2 record and a Class 2-A state championship in 2004. That Jimtown team is the lone boys basketball squad in county history to win a state title.

DeShone replaces Troy Noble, who resigned in March. Noble, who resigned on the day of the Blue Blazers’ sectional game, did not complete two years as coach. Central was 6-15 in 2012-13 and went 5-16 overall and 1-7 in the Northern Indiana Conference this past season.

Elkhart Central has had just one winning season, going 13-11 in 2010-11, in the last nine years.

The Blue Blazers are slated to return their top two scorers next year in seniors Treyton Harris and Aaron Flax.