The Dulce School District has opened up four major high-school coaching positions: girls and boys basketball, football and boys track.
Football and boys track coach Ron Graham said he will not reapply for either position and will likely return to Estancia, where he has a home.
“When they opened up my job while I still had it, (that) helped me make up my mind,” Graham said. “I don’t know if I’ll get another job, and I might not ever coach again. I’ve had it broke off too many times.”
Graham has been with Dulce since 2002. In 2007, he guided the Hawks to their first-ever District 1AA football championship. Dulce finished that season 8-2 overall and 4-0 in district play; it was Graham’s best season as head coach. The Hawks were 4-5 overall and 3-3 in an expanded District 1AA last season.
“It was fun building a program,” Graham said. “The kids and the community bought into it and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Dulce athletic director Ricardo Sanchez and outgoing superintendent Ralph Friedly did not return calls seeking comment.
District athletic coordinator Isaac Royston said Graham had talked about retiring during this past season. Coaching positions are all one-year contracts, Royston said.
Royston said he will not reapply for his own position as head boys basketball coach. Royston has held various District coaching positions since 1996, and he returned as head basketball coach last year after a four-season hiatus from the top job. He led the Hawks to a 4-20 record.
“I needed to take a break from coaching,” Royston said. “With my duties as athletic coordinator, plus heading up truancy and security for the schools, it was too much.”
Giving up his coaching position will also give him more time to evaluate the performance of Dulce’s coaches, Royston said.
Royston said the District has received 11 applications for the boys basketball position and 13 for football coach. Most of the applicants were from out of state, he said.
“We’re also looking for teachers and we would like to combine that with a coaching position,” Royston said. “Teachers are around the kids more on a daily basis, and like most schools, we’re always looking for teachers.”
Sabrina Armendarez was in her first season as the girls basketball coach at Dulce last season. The Lady Hawks were 2-21 for the season and 0-6 in District 2AA.
Armendarez could not be reached for comment.
The District will be accepting applicstions for coaching positions until Thursday (4/30), Royston said.