Former Española coach receives recommendation for new gig at Mesa Vista
Mesa Vista search committee recommends controversial coach be given reins of boys program
Is one of Northern New Mexico’s most colorful, yet controversial, coaching figures set for a return? It appears that former Española Valley head boys basketball coach Richard Martinez could return to courtside next season. Mesa Vista Principal Manny Lucero said Wednesday afternoon that Martinez is the recommendation by the school’s search committee to take over the school’s boys basketball program for the 2018-19 season.
He would replace Benito Maestas, who coached the Trojans for the past two years and guided them to a 22-35 record with an appearance in the Class 2A State Tournament in 2017-18.
Martinez spent 13 seasons at Española and had a 253-133 record. He led the program to state titles in 2011 and 2016, as well as six semifinal appearances. However, the last year of his tenure was plagued by allegations he abused and bullied players, students, parents, staff members and administrators — allegations documented during a yearlong investigation by the state’s Public Education Department.
Martinez reached a settlement with the department in May 2017, in which he received a one-year suspension of his teaching license, agreed to surrender his coaching license for two
years and to never seek employment or work as a contractor with Española Public Schools.
Martinez said Wednesday night that he feels ready for another chance because he did not like how his tenure at Española Valley ended and the perception that he was “an evil guy.”
“I think I have paid my dues and I don’t agree with what happened to me,” Martinez said. “I feel the way it happened to me was unfair and I stand by it.”
However, that agreement might be a sticking point for his return. Lucero said Martinez is in the process of reapplying for his coaching license through the Public Education Department and believes he will get it. Martinez said he talked with a member of the department to learn the steps he needs to take to regain his coaching license this week and added that he is completing the last of the requirements laid out in the settlement. He hopes to have everything completed by the end of the month.
Lucero said Martinez is only being considered as a basketball coach because the district does not have any teaching jobs available.
“I had to do a class and have been working on it over the last couple of years to get it done,” Martinez said. But what if he doesn’t get it? “That is a question for the powers that be, not me,” Lucero said. “That is always a concern, I suppose.”
Also complicating matters is that the Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools district is in transition, as interim Superintendent Joe Gurule’s twomonth tenure will end Friday, and former Springer Municipal Schools Superintendent Albert Martinez will take over next week. Gurule said the decision to hire Martinez and retain head girls basketball coach Bobby Romero, which was the committee’s other recommendation, is his to make.
Gurule added that the decisions will be contingent on both of them passing the background check and providing coaching licenses.
“Nothing is official yet, until we have their proof they have met our conditions for hire,” Gurule said. “It’s just a matter of them getting it to our office here and the PED releasing those to them. It should happen by the end of the month.”
Martinez said he does not anticipate any issues with the new superintendent and will respect his decisions.
“I am somebody who is very mindful of the chain of command,” Martinez said. “I know I have a job to do and I am not going to worry about who is watching me. And that is to develop kids with good character, kids who work hard and maximize their abilities and play hard.”
Lucero said Martinez’s past was not a huge topic of discussion with the search committee, in part because he feels any red flags will be caught as the district does its background check.
He added that he was an assistant superintendent at Española Valley in 2010-11 and got to know Martinez.
Also on the committee was Mesa Vista dean of students/ athletic coordinator Eric Vigil, who was the athletic coordinator at Española from 2014-17, and Lucero said Vigil did not see the conduct that came out of the Public Education Department’s investigation.
“I think everybody learns from their past, I would think,” Lucero said. “And I will tell you Richard is a student of the game, a teacher. He has passion. He wants to win. He has a way of doing things that gets misconstrued for something that it is not. I’m telling you, the kids loved him when I was at Española.”
When Mesa Vista school board President Kisha Maestas was reached for comment, she said she had just seen a social media post announcing that Martinez was hired and did not have an immediate comment.
“I don’t know enough about it,” Maestas said. “It is something I would have to look into. I was totally caught by surprise. I just saw it seconds ago.”
Maestas said the superintendent has the final say on personnel matters and the board does not have a role in them.