Continuity is considered an important aspect in the world of sports. Continuity allows players to learn a system or style of play in their first year without the worries that they will have to learn a new system or style the following year. It’s the coaches who bring that continuity to all sports and team. In Lea County it is no different and with five high schools, there are times when continuity is lost when a coach retires, leaves for a different position, or is released from their job. Looking ahead to the fall sports season, there are a few coaching vacancies that need to be filled in the Lea County high school ranks.
At the high school level, Hobbs High is the only school looking for a head coaching position. Hobbs is looking to fill the boys’ soccer head coach position left open with Jose Mares retirement last season. In his final season Mares led the Eagles to a 17-6-1 record and a run to the Class 5A state championship game where Hobbs fell to Albuquerque High. Hobbs Athletic Director Brenda Wilson has already begun the interviewing process of potential candidates.
“Right now we only have head boys soccer,” she said. “We are hoping to have the position filled in the next two or three weeks. We are hoping to gather anybody interested in applying to gather them up do interviews and make a decision in the next couple of weeks.”
Under the social distance mandates set by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Wilson is using Zoom to hold video interviews with potential candidates. She spoke on her preferred method to do interviews.
“I much prefer the old fashion face to face,” Wilson said. “Because we are people-people in this office. It’s hard to do things on Zoom when you are use to visiting with somebody and to register how they are with kids and other things. I much prefer talking person to person; I have done Skype interviews since I have gotten the job. It’s not like its something new but I much prefer face-to-face interviews. But under the circumstances you have to roll with the cards you are dealt and we are making the best of the situation.”
For those interested in the boys’ soccer head coaching jobs, applicants can go onto the Hobbs High School website and apply.
Lovington Athletic Director Robert Arreola said there are assistant positions that will open up for the fall but the Wildcats’ AD is waiting for letters of resignations to come in. Currently Lovington is looking to fill two vacant assistant coaching positions in football, but Arreola added other assistant positions could open up in the next couple of weeks.
“We are looking (to hire)”, he said. “But right now it is hard to do with all the mandates we have. So we are just waiting a little bit before we get into the fill of things.”
Much like Hobbs, Arreola mentioned hiring’s will be interviewed through Zoom. He did mention there is a small chance they could do a teleconference, but it is more likely they will use Zoom in interviewing potential applicants. Like Wilson, Arreola prefers the old fashion way of doing interviews.
“I would rather do it face to face to be honest,” Arreola said. “But if that is what we have to do. That is why you call ex-coaches or employees and do a background reference. Then you call the references to get a feel of somebody.”
For those interested in the positions they can apply on the Lovington High website.
At the writing of the article Tatum AD Greg Slover, Eunice AD Robbie Robinson, and Jal AD Elaine ONeal all reported they have no coaching vacancies for the fall semester. They will have the same coaches returning from last season, except Jal in football as it recently hired Dusty Giles last week.
