HARLINGEN — After Harlingen South’s Lanny Wilson announced his retirement after 29 years of coaching, just one month later, the Harlingen school district have found his successor.
The Harlingen CISD school board unanimously voted to approve the hiring of Brian Ricci as the next athletic coordinator/head football coach at Harlingen South during their regular meeting Tuesday night.
“We made a decision that will have an exceptional impact at Harlingen South for years to come,” said board president Dr. Nolan Perez. “We have a proud tradition of excellence in our district and as we welcome Coach Ricci, I know he will contribute positively to the students at South.”
Ricci, a native of Cleveland, Texas, boasts 16 years of coaching experience and has generated results during his seven years as an offensive coordinator at George Ranch High School.
As OC at George Ranch, he helped lead them to a perfect 16-0 season and a 5A Division I state title.
During his time with George Ranch, the team was 70-18 and won five undefeated district titles.
For the board, his resume was too good to pass up on and is hoping he can bring success to the South program.
“We look forward to the great leadership and direction of Harlingen South’s new head coach,” said HCISD superintendent Art Cavazos. “We are fortunate to announce that one of the best available coaches in the state of Texas will be coming on board. In his 16 years of experience, he has demonstrated his commitment to all sports. I commend the board for making their decision and giving the students at South the best potential for success.”