In meeting the team for the first time on Monday, Ray Romero asked each player what her favorite subject was. He wants to focus on more than just basketball.
“I’m interested in the student-athlete and the person,” Romero said. “Just to stay positive, and to build a positive relationship throughout every day, and to improve every day. And I think we did that.”
Ray Romero, who found success at Los Alamos, will be the next girls basketball head coach at Española Valley High School.
Romero replaces Joe Estrada, who in five seasons had a 70-51 record before being put on leave late in the season. In 2021, he led the Sundevils to a 13-2 record and a state championship appearance, losing to Gallup.
At Los Alamos, Romero captained a winless team in his first year in 2021, losing two games to Española by 56 and 60 points. But he orchestrated a quick turnaround, winning 13 games the following year to earn a state tournament appearance. And in 2022-23, the Hilltoppers finished 20-8 and undefeated in the district, led by District Player of the Year GG Romero, and made the state quarterfinals.
Romero also was previously the Española girls coach in 2013-14, where he went 22-8 and made the state quarterfinals. He was also an assistant under Richard Martinez for both of Española’s boys state championship teams.
Española Athletic director Matt Abeyta praised Romero’s connections to the Española valley and his experience coaching at all levels.
“He has deep roots here at Española Valley High School,” Abeyta said.
Romero said he left Los Alamos to stay closer to home in Velarde, not knowing the Española girls job would open.
“I enjoy the valley, and I enjoy coaching here,” Romero said. “I was ready to start coaching again, I was hopeful that I would have an opportunity to coach there.”
Bryan Gonzales, currently the coach at Escalante who led the team to a state championship appearance in his first season, was the other finalist for the position.
Other applicants included Sandra Gonzales, an assistant under Estrada who remained through the end of the season and the coach at San Juan Elementary; Debbie Salazar, a former Española middle school coach; Henry Gettler, most recently the boys coach at Silver and a former coach at northern schools including Escalante and Coronado; Joaquin Garcia, a former assistant coach at Pojoaque; Dennis Archuleta, the coach at McCurdy; Juan Jose Alvarado, a former coach at Socorro; and Jonathan Chavez, the boys junior varsity coach.
“We had several qualified candidates for the job,” Abeyta said. “I believe it generated that interest because of the talent we have in the program.”
Romero plans to keep Sandra Gonzales on the staff as an assistant, as well as his children who assisted him in Los Alamos. Kaitlyn Romero, a former Sundevil star and 2016 graduate, wrote in a Tweet, “Officially a Sundevil once again! Can’t wait to get started!!”
He inherits a team coming off of a 12-15 season where they struggled to score consistently, averaging just 37 points per game. But much of the production returns, including rising senior Alyanna Medina and a large junior class.
Romero knows some of the team from facing them while at Los Alamos.
“Every team that we played, we scouted really well,” Romero said. “I knew they had good shooters, they had good athletes, and they’re quick. And they’re hard workers.”
Romero looks to install a defense-first team.
“I want to be one of the best defensive teams in the state,” he said. “You can always play great defense with heart and hustle.”
He also, during his first day with the team, celebrated and credited “hockey assists” — passing to a player who makes an assist.
“We’re excited and we think the future’s bright,” Abeyta said.
According to the team page on MaxPreps, Los Alamos appears to have hired Satguru Khalsa, who had started the local B1 Academy, to replace Romero as head coach.