Following the announcement ofnine-year head coach Johnny Estelle's departurefrom the Texas A&M University-Kingsville basketball program, the university has announced a familiar face as his replacement.
TAMUK athletics said in a release they have named former Estelle assistant coach
Omar Gonzalez as the program's 17th head coach in the university's history.
"I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead this program. I thank Athletic Director Steve Roach, Dr. Robert Vela, and Coach Johnny Estelle for making this possible. Having been a Graduate Assistant to Assistant Coach to now Head Coach at TAMUK has truly been a blessing to me," Gonzalez said in the release. "I hope to follow in the footsteps of Coach Estelle and continue to lead Javelina Men's Basketball to high levels of success. I believe we have a great group of young men returning that can continue to have the success we have had over the last 5 seasons. My vision is to continue to have success both on and off the court."
The release states Gonzalez served as an assistant for Estelle for five seasons, including the program's three NCAA Division II tournament runs in the 2020s.
"Coach Gonzalez is an outstanding leader and man of character while also being a phenomenol basketball coach." Estelle said in the release. "Omar has been elite at building and managing relationships with student-athletes and others in the Kingsville Community. He possesses the necessary coaching experience, knowledge, integrity, and work ethic that will allow him to be a successful head coach and asset to Javelina Nation!"
Gonzalez was a graduate assistant coach at TAMUK between 2014-17, and earned his masters degree in education and human performance, the release states.
He was a former assistant coach at Blinn College from 2017-18, as served as head manager of the University of Houston basketball team for two seasons, and
"We are excited to have coach Gonzalez take over the program going forward. He has already made incredible contributions to the program as a member of the coaching staff, and I am excited about the future of our program with him at the helm," Javelina Athletic Director Steve Roach said in the release. "He has strong relationships with our current student-athletes, understands what it means to be a Javelina, and there is no better person to lead this program forward building on the legacy of Javelina basketball."
The release states there will be a press conference to introduce the new head coach Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at McCauley Hall at the TAMUK campus.
"For nearly a decade, Coach Gonzalez has helped lead our team under the mentorship of Coach Estelle," Texas A&M-Kingsville President Robert Vela said. "I am confident that Coach Gonzalez is well-prepared to continue our program's success and tradition of excellence."
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