By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
After a decade at the helm, Nick Mendez has left the Del Rio Rams baseball family.
Mendez, who took over as the Del Rio High Rams baseball head coach prior to the 2012-13 season, resigned from the position this summer and has accepted a coaching job at East Central High School. He also served as the Rams football co-defensive coordinator.
“My wife and I are moving to San Antonio. I will be coaching in some capacity at East Central High School. My wife will be teaching at Southside Early Childhood,” Mendez said via text message.
San Felipe Del Rio CISD Athletic Director Frenchey McCrea Jr. said he is actively seeking a replacement for Mendez as head baseball coach. He said the position would remain open until it was filled.
In his 10 years as Rams head baseball coach Mendez led the Rams to the playoffs three times.
In his first year as head coach, Mendez guided the Rams to a bi-district round appearance against Mission Sharyland, which was led by current Washington Nationals catcher Tres Barrera. The Rams lost a best-of-three series against the Rattlers that season.
The next season, Del Rio lost a bi-district series to La Joya Palmview. After missing out on the playoffs in 2015, the Rams returned to the postseason in 2016, losing a one-game series to Edinburg.
Del Rio has not qualified for the playoffs in baseball since.
This past season Del Rio was 13-16 overall and 5-7 in District 29-6A. They remained in the playoff hunt until late in the season.
Mendez began his Rams football coaching career as the linebackers coach before eventually being promoted to defensive coordinator. He had served as co-assistant defensive coordinator under head coach Rod Taylor.
In 2015, Mendez was named Dairy Max’s BUILT by Nature and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Assistant Coach of the Week following Del Rio’s 33-21 Area playoff win over Weslaco East.
Mendez’s final act as the Rams head baseball coach was to speak in honor of Rams’ Matt Mendez, Will Cooper and Alex Rodriguez after the three of them signed letters of intent to play baseball at the collegiate level in May. Matt is Nick’s son and will play for the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.
The next Rams head baseball coach inherits a relatively young team after losing 11 players to graduation. However, they will have the District 29-6A co-Newcomer of the Year in sophomore catcher Wade Cooper and all-district honorable mention utility player Mario Soto as well as returning starting third baseman/pitcher Tommy Gambrel.
“We are gonna miss Del Rio greatly,” Mendez said. “Football used to be a great thing here. It was always fun on Thursday and Friday and baseball at Bank and Trust was the best. For 10 years I did it the best I could.”
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
