By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — The Point Isabel ISD board voted Wednesday to recommend longtime coach and Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame inductee Tony Villarreal III as Port Isabel’s new athletic director and head football coach.
He was recognized at the state Capitol in May 2019 by Texas Senator Eddie Lucio Sr., who read aloud Senate Resolution No. 359, which acknowledged his induction into the hall and his lengthy and accomplished career.
Villarreal III’s tenure spans nearly 40 years and includes head coaching stints at Port Isabel, PSJA North, Brownsville Hanna, his alma mater, and most recently at Weslaco High, where he spent 11 seasons.
Since his retirement in 2016 he has been a leadership consultant, serving as a mentor to young coaches across the Valley.
The highlight of Villarreal III’s time at Port Isabel, which began as an assistant in 1989, was a 1994 state semifinal berth. He was named coach of the year in the University Interscholastic League’s Class 3A for that season.
He attended and played baseball at Texas Southmost College and Southern Methodist University.
Villarreal III’s career record stands at 197-107-4. He has 38 postseason victories.
Villarreal III replaces former coach and athletic director Jason Strunk, who left to assume the AD post at Manheim Township High School in Manheim, Pa.
Strunk recorded a 7-13 overall record in his two seasons at the helm of the Tarpons.