BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
Rio Grande City football coach and athletic coordinator Aaron Garcia learned of his reassignment shortly before Rio Grande City CISD began its two-and-a-half-week winter holiday. The school district officially posted the opening to its job portal Dec. 21.
Garcia led the Rattler football program for three seasons. The Rattlers suffered their first losing season under Garcia in 2018 at 3-7.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have been there,” Garcia said. “Obviously, we were in some very competitive districts, but I thought we were heading in the right direction. I can’t complain.”
The Rattler football program struggled to find consistency dating back to the turn of the century. Rio Grande City has had only six seasons where the Rattlers finished with a .500 record or better since 2000. They made the playoffs four times over the same span.
While Garcia did not bring Rio Grande City into postseason play, he is responsible for two of the Rattlers’ six seasons with a .500 record or better since 2000. Garcia’s first two seasons in Starr County ended with a 6-4 record in 2016 and a 5-5 mark in 2017.
Garcia was the first head coach in La Joya Juarez-Lincoln program history when he earned the job in 2008 where he spent four seasons. After his time in La Joya and a few years as an assistant coach, Garcia got the call to lead Rio Grande City, his alma mater.
“The opportunity to coach at your alma mater is special,” Garcia said. “If you ask any coach, they’d love the chance to go back home and I did. I played here. I gave everything to this job. Unfortunately, things didn’t happen this year, but I don’t doubt those kids being successful next year. There’s a lot of talent there. I’m very appreciative of their hard work and I can’t thank them enough.”
During the 2018 regular season, Rio Grande City finished second in the 10-team District 16-5A DI with 375.3 yards of total offense per game. Senior quarterback Adrian Gonzalez, who began the year sharing snaps with Mario Garza, finished with 2,209 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes and only five interceptions. Mission Veterans quarterback Landry Gilpin was the only other quarterback to throw for more passing yards and touchdowns in District 16-5A DI.
Multiple attempts to reach both Rio Grande City CISD athletic director Rey Ramirez and Rio Grande City High School principal Jorge Peña Thursday were unsuccessful.