Four to be inducted into the Coastal Bend Coaches Association Hall of Honor

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coastal Bend Coaches Association is inducting four local coaches in the class of 2023 Hall of Honor this weekend, Eddie Hesseltine, Andres (A.J.) Martinez, Hector Salinas Jr. and Jose Carrillo. All four made big impacts as coaches and/or directors.

Eddie Hesseltine (King, Three Rivers, Refugio, Skidmore-Tynan, Industrial)
The Sinton native graduated as a Pirate in 1988 and played football, basketball and track and field. He later joined the U.S. Air Force on active duty for five years and then the Air Force Reserves for three more years from (1996-99). Hesseltine started his assistant coaching career at Industrial H.S. (1998-2001) and then Skidmore-Tynan (2001-03) and Refugio (2003-06).

Hesseltine earned his dream job when he received his first Athletic Director position at Three Rivers ISD (2006-09) where his overall record was 22-9. Later he became the AD at King H.S. for 11 years, leading the Mustangs to six playoff appearances.

Hesseltine did more off the field, spending 15 years on the CBCA Board of Directors (2008-21). He now serves as the Orange Grove ISD Superintendent.

LEAVING A LEGACY
"Five coaches that worked under me as a head coach that now are head coaches. Justen Evans is one. You know very successful and that's just a blessing to see that and all that be here from where I'm from is great. The Hall of Honor is just the biggest honor you could have. I've seen the last, since 2008, every single group go through and those are all my heroes. To see them in there and now join them it's just a blessing."

FAVORITE MEMORY
"Getting my first win against George West when I was in Three Rivers in overtime. Coach (Gary) Davenport was the head coach and coach Bush was the offensive coordinator and those were heroes of mine. To get that victory for our kids and do it against those legends was probably my favorite."

FAVORITE SCHEME
"You know when we started out we were a wishbone. We were a wishbone double tight you know 3-yards and a cloud of dust, but as I got to the 6A level we had to spread it out. I think that was the big opening. What all could be done in the spread offense and throwing the ball a little bit more and how much fun it was."

Andres (A.J.) Martinez (Odem, Sinton, Carroll, UIL)
A.J. Martinez graduated from Odem in 1996 where he was a 5-sport athlete. He graduated from TAMU-Kingsville in 2002 and he pitched for the Javelinas (1997-01) under fellow inductee Hector Salinas. He started his coaching career in Gonzalez.

Martinez later moved back to Odem-Edroy ISD where he spent six years as the AD football head coach. Martinez ended his tenure 53-21 with six playoff appearances, including a trip to the State Quarterfinals. He spent 2017 as the Carroll AD football head coach before joining the UIL as the Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Football (first Hispanic ever in this role).

LEAVING A LEGACY
"To understand what the CBCA stands for and what they do to help coaches kids. Knowing that I've done my part in helping that, but to also help guide that in the Coastal Bend is great. This is an incredible honor."

FAVORITE MEMORY
"My favorite coaching memories have to be of course my time there at Odem and being with my staff and my kids and having some incredible playoff runs, but also coaching with Tom Allen at Sinton. Then of course working with the CBCA as a Board of Directors as a President, as a Treasurer and being able to have fellowship with all of the coaches in the Coastal Bend."

FAVORITE SCHEME
"I'm a spread guy and a 4-2-5 defensive guy, but I'm also a firm believer in doing what your kids are capable of doing."

Hector Salinas Jr. (TAMU-CC, TAMUK, Moody, Roy Miller)
Salinas was born in Elsa, TX in 1945. He later moved to Corpus Christi and played basketball and baseball at Carroll where he earned District MVP honors his senior season. He led the baseball team to the State Tournament. He later played college baseball at Pan American College (1964-68) and played pro ball for Vera Cruz.

Salinas started coaching high school baseball at Roy Miller in 1971. He won 20 games his first season which has not been done since. Then he took over at Foy H. Moody where he led his team to the State Tournament in 1978.

After coaching at a few colleges in South Texas, Salinas made his way back to the Coastal Bend in 1993 where he led TAMU-Kingsville (first DII program) and then in 2000 he started the DI TAMU-CC program from scratch. The Islanders defeated the number-one-ranked team in the nation (Texas) before he retired in 2007. He went on to become a CCISD school board member in 2015.

Jose Carrillo (Alice, Benavides, Robstown, San Diego, Carroll)
Carrillo's coaching career began in his hometown of Benavides where he spent his first five seasons before working in Alice. In 1983, he headed to San Diego for one season as the football head coach. He then went back to Alice for eight years before taking his first AD football head coaching job back in San Diego where he led the Vaqueros for four years (District Champions 1993).

Carrillo retired in 2009, but in 2012 he came out of retirement to coach the offensive line in Alice for one of his former players, Chris Soza. Finally, after 40 years, Carrillo officially entered retirement. He dedicated a lot of time helping athletes grow and improve between Alice, San Diego, Robstown, Carroll, Roma, San Marcos.

The CBCA Clinic on the Coast is at the Omni Resort Hotel in Corpus Christi on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. The Hall of Honor banquet is at the Al Amin Shriner on Sunday at 2 p.m. The CBCA exists to raise scholarships for coaches kids. For more information go to cbcatx.org.