After leading the Pojoaque Valley High School football team to its first and only winning season in its 14-year history, coach Quevin Redding may soon be replaced after apparently leaving for another job.
The Pojoaque School District posted an advertisment for a new football coach June 14 on the New Mexico Activities Association website.
Pojoaque Athletic Director Matt Martinez said Redding told him after graduation May 29 that he was going to Chaparral High School to try out a job there as offensive coordinator and would not be returning to Pojoaque.
“I told him to go to Chaparral, think about it, decide what was best for him and his family and call me the following week about his decision,” Martinez said. “He was welcome to come back (to Pojoaque) if he decided Chaparral wasn’t right for him. He never did.”
Since then, Redding has not spoken with Martinez or any one else at Pojoaque, including his assistant coaches, about his decision.
“We opened the position because we couldn’t wait any longer,” Matt Martinez said.
Assistant Coach Carlos Martinez has been managing the team during the summer workouts and seven-on-seven competitions in which Pojoaque has participated since the end of the school year.
“The first three days were hard,” Carlos Martinez said. “Since then, we had some plays that “Q” (Redding) had and the kids and I added a few more. We’re moving on and enjoying it.”
Matt Martinez said six people have applied so far for the Redding’s position, which pays an annual stipend of $5,100. The District accepted applications through Wednesday (6/23).
“We’d like to fill the position by the end of the month (June),” Matt Martinez said.
One applicant, Pat Rodriguez, was at Pojoaque’s most recent competition June 15 against Escalante High School, helping Carlos Martinez coach the team as a volunteer.
Rodriguez and Redding were both applicants for the recently filled football coaching job at Capital High School. Capital hired Josh Wallace June 9 to fill the position.
Matt Martinez said Redding, who also supervised the in-school suspension program at Pojoaque Middle School, had unsuccessfully petitioned for a teaching position at the high school.
“I told him we didn’t have any room (at the high school),” Matt Martinez said. “(The teaching position) was one of his main requests.”
That may have influenced Redding’s decision to leave, Matt Martinez said. Martinez said he has not yet accepted Redding’s letter of resignation. Because the District has already advertised for Redding’s job, he would need to re-apply and interview for the position if he chose to return, Matt Martinez said.
Redding has not returned repeated calls for comment since June 1. He is not listed on the coaching staff at Chaparral High School.
Chaparral Coach Tommy Smith has not responded to an e-mail asking about Redding’s status as an assistant, and could not be reached for comment by phone.
Carlos Martinez confirmed Redding had told the members of the Pojoaque football team at practice May 28 that he was going to Chaparral to “see about a coaching position” as offensive coordinator and would not be returning to Pojoaque if he liked it.
Former McCurdy quarterback junior Louie Martinez had transferred to Pojoaque this winter and had been praised by Redding as a potential future quarterback for the Elks.
“At first, he was pretty upset,” Louie Martinez’s stepfather, Aaron Archuleta, said. “Now, he’s moving forward and enjoying himself and playing with the team.”
Pojoaque recently completed work on a new weight room and will be moving into District 5AAA after having been a member of District 2AAA in football since 1998. Pojoaque had limited football success in District 2AAA and never recorded more than one district win within a given season.
“This looked like a good year, with a lot of players returning,” Archuleta said.
Redding had made the rounds of assistant coaching positions in the Española area, serving as offensive coordinator at McCurdy School in 2003, defensive coordinator at McCurdy in 2006 and defensive coordinator at Española Valley High School in 2007 before accepting the head coaching position at Pojoaque in 2008.
During Redding’s tenure, the Elks posted a 9-12 record overall. After a 3-7 record in 2008, Pojoaque established a team record by starting the season 5-0, and finished 6-4 during the regular season for the school’s first winning season.
The Elks advanced to postseason play for the second time in school history and were defeated by Albuquerque Academy in the opening round of the Class AAA state playoffs.
“We want to thank him for all he did for us,” Matt Martinez said. “We wish him well. He got the program on the right track, and now we have to keep it there and go forward.”