The San Diego Vaqueros have announced the district’s new athletic director and head football coach. The new coach Matthew Garcia, a native of Alice.
“We are a winning program here. I like high pressure situations,”Garcia said.
He is no stranger to the pressures of the gridiron. He played high school football in Alice until he graduated in 2012. Fast forward, nearly 13 years later and slide him 16 miles to the west, Garcia is set to head coach at San Diego High School.
“I’m not going to sit here and say I’m not nervous. But ultimately, I think that nervous will drive me to work hard every day. I think when you lose that sake of nervousness - it’s time to get out,” Garcia said.
He finished out his high school football career, with the Coyotes, focused on defense.
KRIS 6 News Reporter Melissa Trevino asked Garcia “What is football?”
“I think football comes down to three things: blocking, tackling, and having fun. And I think that’s football in a nutshell,” Garcia said.
And, having fun as the school’s new football coach and athletic director while tackling challenges is what Garcia told KRIS 6 News he plans to do.
Student athletes, like San Diego HS junior, David Garcia III, appear ready for Coach Garcia.
“My goal is to just help the team as much as I can. See what I can do as a player, develop, and help us win as much as I can. No matter what my role is," David Garcia III said.
The job puts 30-year-old Coach Garcia in the head coaching and the athletic director’s position for the first time.
As for comparing his time playing for the Alice Coyotes and leading the San Diego Vaqueros, he said there is common ground.
“There’s a lot of heart in this area. There’s a lot of kids willing to do anything for their coaches. I would like to say there’s a lot of differences, but there’s not,” Coach Garcia said.
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