PHARR — Gerardo Salazar spent the past six seasons as an assistant on the Valley View Tigers boys soccer team. This year, three days after the Tigers’ first non-district match, Salazar was thrust into the head coaching role following Valley View ISD’s dismissal of all paraprofessional coaches, including longtime boys soccer head coach Damian Magallan.
The Tigers suffered a crushing 2-0 defeat to the Brownsville Veterans Chargers during their first game with Salazar at the helm. He addressed the team after the loss, telling them the outcome of the rest of the season was up to them, not Magallan or himself.
His team responded in dominating fashion, cruising through district play, tallying a 14-0 record on their way to a District 31-5A crown while outscoring opponents 69-12.
The Tigers carried their dominating play into the postseason, outscoring the competition 16-6 while earning a spot in the Class 5A state tournament, their third appearance in four years.
Despite high expectations set by Magallan during his decade-long run as the Tigers’ head coach, Salazar stepped in and helped continue the tradition of excellence set before him. For that, Salazar is The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Boys Soccer Coach of the Year.
Although serving as the head coach, Salazar said this accolade belongs to Magallan just as much as to him, dedicating the award to his predecessor.
“It’s an honor,” Salazar said. “First off, I would like to thank Coach Magallan. He’s the one who got me into soccer and he’s the one that got me into his program. Coach Magallan is Valley View boys soccer. But, it’s an honor. He was the first one to congratulate me. It feels a little awkward. But it’s an honor. I’m glad we had the season we did.”
Salazar first joined the Tigers soccer program as an assistant six years ago, saying he knew nothing about soccer upon his arrival. Still, Magallan took him under his wing, teaching Salazar the ins and outs of the sport.
Magallan then gave Salazar an opportunity to coach at the junior high level to get hands-on experience. Salazar said coaching at the junior high level is where he learned the most, applying what his teacher had taught him into real-game situations.
“He (Magallan) told me, ‘You’re going to learn more by being there,’” Salazar said. “So, he let me coach the junior high team. He never told me who to put where or anything like that. But I knew the system and what types of players to put where. Everything that I know about soccer is because of Coach Magallan.”
Salazar said things weren’t the same following Magallan’s departure despite opening the season with three consecutive wins, saying the team lacked passion.
“To tell you the truth, I think it happened when Magallan and all the paraprofessional coaches were let go,” Salazar said. “We had a game at Brownsville Vets and it showed. The kids didn’t have the passion or the heart and they played so badly. I saw it on the field. I made all the moves that I could. But they were not into it.”
After the team’s third game, Salazar was allowed to bring Magallan back onto the team as an assistant. He said that was the turning point of the season for his team.
The Tigers outscored opponents 59-7 during their final 11 games with Salazar and Magallan on the sidelines, scoring three or more goals in all but one match.
The Tigers then took down giants during their playoff run, coming away with victories over Valley powerhouses Brownsville Veterans and Brownsville Porter during the regional quarterfinals and regional finals, respectively.
They also snapped the San Antonio Southwest Dragons’ 45-game winning streak during the Region IV-5A semifinals, running the Dragons out of the stadium with a crushing 5-2 victory.
“Once they allowed Magallan back onto the team, he was the first one to talk to them,” he said. “He didn’t come in saying thank you and this or that. He came in and started getting after them. That’s how he is as a coach. I think that was the biggest impact on the year that we had, Coach Magallan and assistant coach Edwin Sanchez being back with us.”
Despite serving as the team’s head coach, Salazar credits Magallan and his players for his successful first year.
“I’m glad we had the season we did,” Salazar said. “I’m just humbled and honored. I think the season that we had is because of the players. But also, the energy that Coach Magallan brings to the practices and the games.”