BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
EDINBURG — At a special Edinburg school board meeting on Tuesday, the board of trustees’ vote to decide the next Edinburg North football coach and boys athletic coordinator resulted in a tie.
Current Edinburg North baseball coach Damian Gonzalez was recommended to the board first and received three votes from the seven-member board.
Current quarterbacks coach at Edinburg North Raul Salas was recommended next, and he also received three votes.
The board announced the job opening will be addressed at the next meeting, which will take place next Tuesday.
“They are both Edinburg boys. They are both good, and they are both qualified,” board member Oscar Salinas said. “Both of them are pretty good. Me being a coach, I just decided I am going to vote for the one that is recommended (Gonzalez). I’m not going to pick one over the other. It’s a tough decision. We will come back really quick and make a decision as soon as we can.”
Gonzalez has been the baseball coach for the Cougars for the last 7 years.
Salas has been the quarterbacks coach for the last two years.
“They both played at North,” ECISD athletic director Roy Garza said. “Same team. … Salas played quarterback, and Damian was a center. They both played baseball for us, as well.”
Gonzalez and Salas played on the first team in school history to win a district title — a feat the school hasn’t accomplished since.
Both candidates also coached under Roy Garza, who was the Cougars football coach from 2005-13.
Gonzalez has the experience edge, having been the offensive coordinator at ENHS from 2012-14. He helped the Cougars reach the third round of the playoffs in 2012 and 2013. He served as the offensive line coach from 2007-2011, and the team made the playoffs three of the five years he held that position.
Salas has never been a coordinator at the high school level, but he brings a lot to the table, according to Salinas.
“I think he is a good candidate,” Salinas said of Salas. “He is qualified. He has been in the program. He knows the kids. I feel like he would be a good person to run the program.”
Asked if the decision was down to Gonzalez and Salas, Salinas said: “I think that it’s these two — but, you know, we will go back and look at it again. The superintendent and the administration will look at it again. And then they will make a decision.”
Raul McCallum was named the head volleyball coach at the meeting, replacing Adrian Cavazos, who resigned following the 2017 season. McCallum served as an assistant coach for Cavazos last year and has been with the program for 21 years.
“It was just the perfect fit,” Salinas said of McCallum’s approval. “Having a familiarity with the kids and then having paid his dues, we just felt that he was a great candidate. He’s done a great job there also. And he is also a really good math teacher. So we feel good about it.”