Donna overhauls coaching staffs

DONNA — Less than 24 hours after Zeke Rodriguez was named the new boys basketball coach at Donna, he paid a visit to his new place of employment and shook hands with some coaches and administration.

But before he left, the new coach had at the top of his agenda to introduce himself to his new players before he came back to Weslaco to finish his last few weeks as an employee at the district. Rodriguez talked about how eager he was to get started and how hungry he was to turn things around at the school. He stressed commitment and sacrifice for the program.

“They had wide open eyes and bunny ears,” Rodriguez said. “They seemed excited and I’m excited.”

Six others share Rodriguez’s sentiments as they too were hired to come on board as new coaches at Donna beginning in the 2011-12 school year. The school district hired Rodriguez, Laura I. Cavazos for volleyball, Ilse P. Aguilar for girls soccer, Carlos Pimentel for baseball, Oscar Rene Salinas for softball, Basilo Mendoza to run boys track and cross country and Hugo Cervantes for girls track and cross country.

It’s been part of a spring cleaning that new athletic director Rafael G. Leal has done as part of changing the culture at the school. Aside from limited success in some programs, there has been little to none in many. When Leal was hired in March as the new AD, one of his first orders of business was to evaluate all the sports programs; he felt it was time to make some changes. The six other coaches either resigned or were reassigned for the remainder of the school year with the changes beginning in April according to Leal and Superintendent Roberto Loredo.

So the hiring process was on and recommendations were made with final approval on May 15 by the school board.

“We haven’t had much success lately,” Leal said. “Overall, it’s for the welfare of the athletes in Donna. We want all sports to be competitive.

“We have to have a starting point. First off, just that sport they’re responsible for. They will also be responsible for the development at the middle school and up.”

Rodriguez was a longtime assistant for Gabe Valdez at Weslaco for seven seasons where they enjoyed much success, which was highlighted by three district titles and a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2007.

Rodriguez is one of two Weslaco graduates hired; Cervantes is the other. Those two and Cavazos get their break as first-time varsity coaches.

“It’s an exciting new beginning,” Cervantes said. “The way I see it, we’ve been given an opportunity and now we want to show what we can do.”

Aguilar proved to be the only in-house hire as he served as an assistant and is a Donna native. Pimentel has Mid-Valley ties having worked for Mercedes as an assistant and was head coach at Lyford where it reached the playoffs. But Pimentel is best known for being the ace for a Tigers team that reached the state final in 1986. Salinas brings a winning attitude having worked as first assistant at Edcouch-Elsa, which won the school’s first district title this season. Cavazos and Mendoza come to Donna from the west: Cavazos spent some time in Sharyland while Mendoza was at La Joya Palmview. Cavazos also served as an assistant for UTPA.

Leal is more than confident the seven new faces are qualified to turn each of the programs around.

“We didn’t go free agency to win this year, but to win in the long run,” Leal said.