After accepting the job as the new football coach at Española Valley High School April 23, Chris Easley notified Española athletic director Theresa Flores by e-mail that he would not be accepting the position. Flores read the e-mail April 27 and was visibly disappointed April 28 when asked about it.
“I was hoping to have a coach hired by the end of the month,” a disappointed Flores said. “Now we’ll have to get a new committee and start the process (of hiring a football coach) again.”
Easley spent last season as head football coach and an alternative education teacher at Zuni High School. He has not returned phone messages or responded to an e-mail. Zuni principal Richard Yzenbaard refused to comment on Easley’s status at Zuni or whether Easley would be returning to Zuni as football coach, saying it was a personnel issue.
Zuni’s classified advertisement for a new football coach is still posted on the state Activities Association website.
Easley was the only applicant for the position who received a second interview and who visited the Española campus a second time. The other candidate invited for a second interview, Doug South of California, withdrew his application before April 23, when Easley was interviewed.
Flores did not return phone messages April 30 and when visited at Española Valley High School said she didn’t have time to answer questions because she was already one hour late for a meeting with Española Schools Superintendent Janette Archuleta.