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UHS basketball coach Oyola leaving for Bandera

James Volz
Sports Editor

Pete Luna|Leader-News
Uvalde head basketball coach Alex Oyola directs his players during a playoff game last season against San Antonio Brooks Academy. Oyola, who has served as UHS head basketball coach for the past four seasons, recently resigned to accept a coaching position at Bandera.

Uvalde High School will have a new boys head basketball coach for the 2022-23 season.

Alex Oyola, who has served as head basketball coach for the past four seasons, has resigned and will be the new girls head basketball coach at Bandera High School.

“It was a total family decision for us,” said Oyola. “My wife and I wanted to be closer to our grand babies. With our parents getting up in age and having some medical issues, this move makes it a lot easier for us to be available to help them.

“I have enjoyed my time at Uvalde and I am proud of what the Coyotes basketball program has evolved to,” said Oyola. “There still is more room for growth, but the boys have brought respectability to our program. Heart and soul is what it is all about.” In four seasons, Coach Oyola completely turned the UHS boys basketball program around.

It took a couple of seasons to establish his program, but in his third season, the Coyotes won the district basketball title.

They posted a 16-5 season record and topped San Antonio Brooks Academy in bi-district competition, before losing to a solid Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway team in the second round of the playoffs.

This past season, the Coyotes racked up a 11-19 record and finished third in a tough district race.

The Coyotes bested San Antonio Brooks in bi-district competition, but then lost to Kingsville King in the second round of playoff action.

“Over the years, I have told my players that no matter what you do in life to always leave things better when you leave than things were when you first started,” said Oyola. “The program here is better now.”

UHS head coach and athletic director Wade Miller praised Oyola for his efforts. “Coach Oyola has done a wonderful job with the UHS basketball program. He is a great coach, a good guy, and has been a pleasure to work with. We wish he and his family all the best in the future.”

Miller is in the process of finding a person to fill the coaching vacancy.

The new head coach will inherit a lot of returning players from this past season’s team, including district newcomer of the year Joseph Flores, district defensive most valuable player Jarrett Hernandez, district second teamers Daniel Perez, Gabriel Larralde, and Jacob Dominguez, and district honorable mention Isaiah Rodriguez.

“I am leaving a special group of kids. They have a lot of potential to advance to the playoffs next season,” said Oyola. 

“It is not easy to leave. These boys always will have a special place in my heart.”

The Coyotes will vie in new District 29-4A next season, along with Carrizo Springs, Devine, Floresville, Pearsall, Pleasanton, and Somerset.

Coach Oyola inherits a Bandera girls program that finished last in District 28-4A this past season. The Bandera girls enter new District 27-4A for basketball next season.

Their new hoops district includes Boerne, Canyon Lake, Davenport, Fredericksburg, Navarro, and Wimberley.