Ryan Cordova is returning to high school.
After a tough personal year, the longtime Northern New Mexico College men’s basketball coach and athletic director is heading to Pojoaque to coach the Elks.
“Pojoaque’s had a good history in athletics,” Cordova said. “Winning, being on top of their class in cross country, in basketball, in so many sports. And I really like the administration, that group that they’ve put together.”
Pojoaque athletic director Mark Mutz praised Cordova’s enthusiasm and ability to connect with athletes.
Cordova previously coached Gallup High School in the early 2000s, building a strong program, and assisted Española Valley before helping launch the Eagles’ athletic program. He said he loved coaching in Gallup and being a part of a passionate community.
Cordova was fired under murky circumstances days before the start of the 2022-23 season, and he spoke to the Rio Grande Sun at the time about his displeasures with the way he was treated in his final months.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s been difficult,” Cordova said of the past year. “That’s the first time in years that I’ve been outside of athletics. And the first time ever in my history that I’ve ever been in a situation like that.”
Cordova replaces Jason Mossman finished with a 27-39 record in three seasons while rebuilding the program. In 2022-23, they finished 16-12, though disappointed with a 4-4 district mark after a strong start to the year.
But Mossman did lead the team to the state tournament for the first time in six seasons, and for the first time since their realignment to the same classification and district as Española and Los Alamos, schools with higher enrollments. As the No. 15 seed, they lost by 43 points to Highland in the first round.
The Elks graduate a class of four seniors who led the team, including star player Derek Sanchez who averaged 25 points per game. But they also return strong young talent, especially in rising sophomore Serafín Mendez, who has received attention from scouts as a top player in his class.
“That’s some of the best talent that northern New Mexico has seen in a while,” Cordova said. “Coach Mossman did a great job in laying a foundation. And so, I love walking in to that area.”
Mutz said other finalists included Ernie Rodriguez and Dale Lucero, and former Escalante and Coronado coach Henry Gettler was a finalist before pulling out of consideration and taking a different job.
“He’s going to come in and there’s going to be a change of culture going on,” Mutz said. “They’re going to come in and they’re going to start working hard, and his goal is to have them peaking in January and February. He has high expectations right now.”