BY NATE KOTISSO | THE MONITOR
Joe Marichalar confirmed on Friday that he was reassigned and will no longer be Edcouch-Elsa’s football coach. Edcouch-Elsa athletic director Christian Navarro, who last coached Valley View in 2011 and 2012, will serve as the school’s interim head coach.
Marichalar, an E-E alum, learned of the district’s decision Thursday afternoon at approximately 3 p.m. while he was teaching a class.
“There was a letter dropped off at my health class,” Marichalar said. “That’s when I read it and found out what happened. I called the superintendent (Ron Cavazos), he confirmed it, and that was it.”
The 37-year-old Marichalar was only 33 when the Edcouch-Elsa school district decided to name him head coach in 2013 despite his lack of head coaching experience.
“They took a risk on me as a young guy,” Marichalar said. “Not a lot of school districts will do that, but they did, so I’m very thankful, appreciative and grateful for the opportunity.”
Marichalar compiled a 37-21 overall record over five seasons at Edcouch-Elsa, including a district championship in 2013 and advancing to the third round of the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. Marichalar was named The Monitor’s All-Area Coach of the Year in 2015.
The Yellow Jackets went 5-5 this season after graduating key pieces like quarterback Marco Aguinaga (30 touchdown passes, three interceptions in 2016) and a senior receiving core that accounted for more than 2,100 receiving yards and 31 touchdown receptions last season.
“I understand the nature of the business,” Marichalar said. “We didn’t get it done on the field, and these are the consequences that follow. I’m the person at the head of the program. This is the way the business works.”
Marichalar had the chance to speak with his former players on Friday morning.
“They’re like sponges with their eyes wide open,” Marichalar said. “They had their questions as to why or why not, but I told them they don’t have time to think about that. They’ll have another season ahead of them. They have to close this chapter as soon as possible and get back to work.”
After winning E-E’s annual rivalry game against Mercedes in 2013, the Yellow Jackets have dropped the last four matchups in a row to even the all-time series between the schools at 32-32-1.
“I don’t know if it was a factor,” Marichalar said. “I didn’t get that vibe at all from the district. They’re professional about their stuff. I think it was the overall team performance. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to end.”
“There were several factors involved with the decision and that (losing streak to Mercedes) may have been one,” Edcouch-Elsa superintendent Ron Cavazos said.
The Edcouch-Elsa job opening was posted on the district’s employment page earlier Friday. Cavazos believes the district may take a deliberate approach when searching for its next football coach.
“This could take as soon as three weeks, or it could be three months. It’s hard to tell,” Cavazos said. “We’re going to go through our process and go through it carefully.”
Cavazos expounded on the makeup of a prospective head coaching candidate.
“All in all, we want a head coach that has a good track record as a head coach and some experience at the playoff level,” Cavazos said. “The scope of our search will be statewide.”