By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
For a third straight year, PSJA High will have a new boys basketball coach.
Walter Gomez, who led the Bears to a postseason appearance in his first year with the program in 2014-15, told RGVSports.com on Tuesday that he resigned from his post last week to spend more time with his family following the birth of his daughter.
“It was a dream of mine to coach at a 5A school,” said Gomez, who was previously at Edinburg IDEA Quest. “I was able to be part of a playoff team (at PSJA that went 18-13 overall, 8-6 in district, before) falling short to (Edinburg) Vela in the first round.
“I will only be teaching and spending time with my family until I decide to coach again. My family has gotten bigger, and with the addition of my daughter, there is nothing more I would rather do than go home when the bell rings.”
Gomez’s resignation leaves PSJA in search of its third boys basketball coach in three years. Gomez succeeded Billy Ramey, who coach for two seasons, revivitzliing a once-struggling program. In his first year, Ramey went 20-12 overall, 8-8 in district. They won twice as many games during that 2012-13 season as the Bears had in the previous five years combined.
The following year with Ramey, they made the postseason, advancing to the second round before he was reassigned.
With Gomez, the Bears sustained themselves as playoffs qualifiers, despite the loss of key contributors, including Luis Mancillas Jr., the RGVSports.com All-Valley Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2013-14.
On Tuesday, the PSJA ISD website listed an opening for a boys basketball head coach/teacher, though it did not specify which of its schools it was for.