BHS, VHS names new coaches

With less than a week before the start of practice, Belen High School hired a new volleyball coach.

George “Buddy” York takes over a program he knows well, having coached many of these same players the last three years at Belen Middle School.

“I’m excited. I’m excited every day for volleyball,” York said last week, on his 78th birthday.

“I’m at my job here (Belen Magistrate Court) but I’ve got my volleyball book in front of me,” York said with a laugh.

At the end of August, York will resign from his position at Belen Magistrate Court after more than two decades.

York interviewed in February to replace Victoria Spragg, who resigned after her third season as head coach. Instead, Christopher Wright was hired but he relinquished the position this summer because of increased responsibilities at his job, said Steven Contreras, Belen Consolidated Schools athletic coordinator.

Even without much of a summer program, York is upbeat after watching the Eagles on the court.

“The girls are working really well. I saw a lot of good stuff going on with these kids. They know how to win,” York said, mentioning his 34-6 three-year record at the middle school.

York had two stints coaching at BMS, totaling 10 years, and before that worked as an administrator and coach in various school districts in New Mexico. After graduating from Tucumcari High School, York attended New Mexico State University before making a career in the military, in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. Eventually, York followed the family tradition into education.

The season opens for York and the Eagles Aug. 22 at home against Bloomfield.

Los Lunas Schools

Ashley Brower, 36, is the new head cross-country coach at Valencia, hired several days before the start of practice.

“I’m going to be understanding, have compassion and take care of my students, provide them the proper technique for them to succeed,” said Brower, who is a substitute teacher with Los Lunas Schools.

Valencia has struggled with low numbers in cross-country, so Brower, a first-time head coach, plans to reach out to students and offer practices before and after classes.

“It has a uniqueness to it and I hope many students will give it a chance,” Brower said, adding that cross-country is a good compliment to other sports.

Brower ran high school cross-country in Texas and continues to be an avid runner.

Practices for cross-country, volleyball and boys’ and girls’ soccer began Monday in New Mexico.

Three other head coaching positions remain open at VHS. The Jaguars’ Dance program does not have a coach after the position went unfilled last year. Wilson Holland, Los Lunas Schools director of athletics, said several interviews were scheduled recently but the applicants did not show up. In addition, Holland hopes to begin interviews in mid-August to replace Blossom Heneghan in track, and Eli Miera in softball.

The contract for Miera, who coached Jaguar softball for one season, was not renewed in the spring. Miera said he was “blindsided” by the decision and that he was not given an explanation by Holland.

“I’m sure there were some parents who didn’t like the way I ran things,” Miera said. “There was no evaluation. I don’t see any other reason why I was terminated.”

Holland said he can’t address any specific coaching situation.

“Any decision made to not bring a coach back has to do with what’s good for kids,” Holland said. “What’s good for the program. That’s it.”

Holland added that coaches are at-will employees and can be terminated at any time.

Los Lunas High School is splitting the coaching duties in boys’ and girls’ track. Holland will hire a replacement for boys’ coach Rodney Leal while adding a girl’s head coach because of the program’s high participation numbers.

With the fall sports season at hand, Holland hopes to soon hire a Valencia Middle School head football coach, as well as a head coach of VMS seventh grade volleyball.