Capital announces hiring 2 coaches
Montaño to lead track and field while Lovato will helm volleyball
Capital continued to pare down its list of head coach openings this weekend.
Santa Fe Public Schools announced Friday the hiring of Lawrence Lovato as head volleyball coach, while Mario Montaño will take over the track and field program this spring. Lovato, who was an assistant under former head coach Max Vargas for the past four seasons, replaced Vargas, who resigned after 10 years.
Capital was 78-114 under Vargas and made the Class 5A State Tournament in 2017. The program has been known for undersized teams that play tenacious defense, but it has struggled since the state went back to five classes, having not won more than four district games since 2018.
Santa Fe Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez said in a news release Lovato’s knowledge and dedication to the volleyball program were key in his hire.
“His commitment to fostering teamwork, skill development and sportsmanship aligns perfectly with SFPS’ values,” Chavez said. “The mentorship and knowledge instilled under Coach Max Vargas the past four seasons will be an invaluable resource to build upon for future seasons.”
Montaño takes over for Rita Vigil, who oversaw the program for 10 years. He also was an assistant football coach for the past two seasons. Capital’s program has struggled with declining roster size over the last several years.
“I am thrilled and thankful for the chance to serve as the head track coach at Capital High School,” Montaño said. “I am prepared to embrace the challenge of fostering the growth and inspiration of our youth to become their best selves each day.”
The hires come in the wake of last week’s announcement of John Michael Salazar as head football coach after he spent the past three seasons as the associate head coach and offensive coordinator.
Capital is still looking for a boys head soccer coach after Lauro Lopez left the program after two seasons. The Jaguars enjoyed their most successful season in seven years with a 14-5-1 record and a 6-4 mark in District 5-5A, which was good for third place.