Valley View’s Elifonso Esquivel is stepping down from his role as head coach of the Tigers’ football program, he confirmed to The Monitor on Wednesday.
The decision comes just nine days before the Tigers were set to open their season. Esquivel said while he has enjoyed his time coaching the team, he felt it was time for him to move on.
“It was tough,” he said. “We have some good kids, and the numbers were there. It was something I felt, personally, I had to do. It had to do with different philosophies, and I felt it was best for me to step down.”
Esquivel assumed head coaching duties in 2016. He helped turned the program around during his five years at the helm, including posting a 7-4 mark during the 2018 season and earning the Tigers their first and only playoff berth.
He finishes his tenure at Valley View with a 15-26 record in four seasons, with his fifth year eliminated after the Tigers opted out of the 2020 season.
Esquivel did not rule out a return to coaching, hoping to make his way back to the field if an opportunity presents itself.
“I want to make it clear, I am not retiring,” he said. “I’m resigning. If I have an opportunity, of course I want to coach. I still have got it in me. I’m still in good health. I just felt like at this time it was best for me to step down as head coach of Valley View.”
The Tigers await to see who will take the reins, with no interim head coach currently named.