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St. Michael’s names its two new head basketball coaches, with Dave Rodriguez announced as coach of the boys and Martin Esquibel of the girls
Long-time head boy’s coach at Santa Fe High, Rodriguez is now a full-time teacher at St. Michael’s, while Esquivel was an assistant Lady Horsemen coach for five years
By Arnie Leshin | May 5, 2017
Keep it in the house. That’s how St. Michael’s went about hiring its two new head basketball coaches on Friday.
The boy’s position was bestowed upon long-time basketball coach Dave Rodriguez, who is now a full-time teacher at St. Michael’s after coaching the boys program at Santa Fe High 24 years, 16 as head coach.
But he grew up at St. Michael’s where his late father, Bobby Rodriguez, coached boy’s basketball. Dave attended school there until transferring to Santa Fe High his junior year and graduating in 1979.
“I’m blessed,” Dave said, “and can’t wait to get started. I’m working on putting together a staff and have some people in mind. It’s exciting because I start next week with the program.”
He replaces Ron Geyer, who resigned after this past season but is still the assistant principle at the school.
“I think St. Michael’s has got a quality, well qualified coach,” Geyer said. “He has the coaching experience, teaches here and knows the kids well.”
Esquibel, too, is no stranger to the halls of St. Michael’s. He was a varsity assistant for three years, and junior varsity head coach under Martin Romero, who resigned after this past campaign.
I’ve very happy to get this position,” he said. “Basketball is my favorite, I played four years and Mora and we won a state championship. I graduated in 1979 (the same year as Dave Rodriguez at SFHS) and then coached elementary school ball, both girls and boys, and this included my time at Pecos.”
This will be his first high school coaching position.
“I’ve got a great core of kids coming back,” he said, “and I’m working on a staff, which is a work of progress.”
Esquibel was born in Las Vegas, N.M., but grew up in Mora. On the court he was a stellar backcourt player.
Said Romero: “He’s very capable of taking over. He’s first and foremost one who stresses discipline, military style, and the players like him. He works with all positions, he’s a retired military man, and on a couple of occasions when I had some other things to do, he took over the team and did very well.”
As for Romero, the only coach to take the Lady Horsemen to the UMM Pit, he said he will probably be at a couple of games.
Rodriguez may be changing schools to coach, but he’s not giving up his favorite activity of biking. He’s been wheeling around since high school. He added that he’s taken in some of the school’s basketball games several times.
“I grew up at St. Michael’s,” he said. “It’s a great place to work and a great place with the people I work with and for.”
In his years with the Demons, he played varsity his junior and senior years, was an assistant JV coach for four years with a program where his dad was head varsity coach. Then he assisted his dad with the varsity for four more seasons, followed by his long stint of following in his dad’s footsteps as head coach.
