GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
Reuben Farias was tabbed as the new head football coach and athletic coordinator at La Joya High during a special meeting of the board of trustees Friday morning, La Joya ISD athletic director Victor Garza said.
A 1994 graduate of La Joya High, Farias has worked his way up through the school district’s coaching ranks, serving as the Coyotes’ receivers coach and special teams coordinator for the past three years.
“He presented all of the expectations that we were looking for for La Joya High School,” Garza said. “Given everything that he has contributed to our student athletes, we felt that he was the right fit to try to take this program from where it’s at and move forward.”
Farias has also served as La Joya’s head baseball coach since 2002, a responsibility he’ll have to give up to take his new position.
His father, Ruben Rey, coached football at La Joya High from 1971-73 and was also a head baseball coach.
“I’m trying to follow in his footsteps. Trying to do better than him and his legacy,” Farias said. “It’s a blessing to come back to my roots.”
Farias replaces George Espinoza, who was reassigned after finishing the 2015 season 3-7.
Espinoza took over the program in 2012, inheriting a roster with only 48 players and a program that was just 7-33 overall since the La Joya ISD split after the 2007 season.
The Coyotes rostered 65 players for Espinoza’s second season and 135 for his third, during which the team went 4-6 to secure its first playoff berth since the split. Espinoza finished his tenure 10-31.
Garza said Farias is expected to continue to build the program forward.
“Definitely being where we’re at, picking up where we’re at, and taking us up to the next level,” Garza said. “The overall student athlete success, on the field as well as academically, and in the other sports.”
Farias plans to have the Coyotes run the ball more often on offense, although he said the attack will always be tailored to best fit the personnel. On defense, Farias wants to stick to the system La Joya has employed the past few seasons.
“I’m trying to continue the winning tradition and trying to bring the pride back to La Joya High School that we once had,” Farias said.
Farias feels good about the nucleus of players the Coyotes have returning, provided the team can avoid the injuries that derailed the 2015 team. Current sophomore quarterback Irving Garcia and junior linebacker Rey Hernandez project as the team’s leaders, and Farias said the biggest goal before the year is to get all of the players mentally on the same page.
“New regime, just to continue to bring passion back and the love to want to win,” Farias said. “I feel that the last couple of years have been going good. We’re just going to try to continue to take it to higher heights. Just making the playoffs, trying to maybe break down and knock the door down and continue to press on and bring a little bit more success to our school district.”