Demonettes may have new hoops coach by weekend
Santa Fe High is nearing the end of its search for a girls basketball coach, and the decision could come as soon as this weekend.
Larry Chavez, Santa Fe Public Schools athletic director, said interviews for the vacancy, created when Cindy Roybal resigned in late February after one season at the school, were conducted Tuesday and a recommendation has been made for the post. He added that the following candidates received interviews:
Valencia head girls basketball coach and former Tularosa head coach Joe Estrada;
Lanse Carter, who was the Demonettes interim head coach for the 2016-17 season and previously coached at Capital, Pojoaque Valley and Santa Fe Indian School;
Anthony Moya, an assistant coach under Roybal at Española Valley and Santa Fe High;
Estrella Flores, a Desert Academy graduate and assistant girls coach at Santa Fe High the past two seasons;
Nate Morris, a varsity girls assistant coach at Albuquerque Sandia;
Jonathan Salazar, former Desert Academy boys and Capital girls head coach;
Bobby Romero, interim head girls coach at Española Valley who guided the Lady Sundevils to the Class 5A quarterfinals and coached the C-team, junior varsity and varsity for the final month of the regular season.
The position received 15 applicants, but one withdrew from consideration before the district pared down its interview list. Among those who applied for the post were former Capital head girls coach Dale Lucero, Monte del Sol head girls coach Ray Roybal, former St. Michael’s and Capital head girls coach Tom Montoya, Ruidoso head girls coach Jason Kampsky and former Pojoaque Valley head girls coach and former Deming head boys coach Juan “Pepe” Alvarado.
Santa Fe High has fallen on hard times since the program won a Class 4A title in 2014. While the Demonettes have made the postseason twice in the past four seasons, they also saw a different head coach each season. Last year, Santa Fe High rallied from a 3-6 start to reach 9-7 entering the District 2-6A season, but the loss of junior guard Taylor Salazar took away the team’s secondleading scorer. The Demonettes never recovered and lost their last 11 games.