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Mark Rodriguez becomes the new head coach of the Santa Fe Prep girl’s basketball program

Mark had previously served as an assistant coach for several programs at Capital High School

Arnie Leshin

By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today

Finally able to join brothers David and Ernie as head varsity basketball coaches, Mark Rodriguez will be trying to install a winning spirit for the Santa Fe Prep girl’s basketball team that lost all of its 21 games last season.

“There were quite a few changes in our basketball programs during the off season,” said Griffins’ athletic director Todd Kurth. “and this necessitated some personnel changes. Boy’s head coach Clyde Sanchez took the job at West Las Vegas as its head, and Brent Cooper, who coached the girl’s team last year, is moving over to take the helm of the our boy’s program.”

With this, he added, it gave Prep the opportunity to bring in Mark Rodriguez to work with the girls and spearhead their resurgence.

Previously, Mark, the youngest of the three, had been an assistant coach at Capital High for the softball and girl’s basketball and soccer teams. Now he becomes a head coach, just as David is as St. Michael’s new boy’s coach, and Ernie at Desert Academy with the boy’s team, and they certainly have years and years of experience to pass on to Mark.

In recent years, Mark has tried to remain positive as he underwent two double-lung transplants. Now he can perhaps transfer this over to the Griffin girls who had their own problems last season, except that his had been more dramatic, realistic, and even heartwarming.

It’s like, well girls, you’ve come off a winless season, but I’ve been through double-trouble, so hear me out, let’s be positive.

From last year’s roster of 10, seven are expected to return, although this is never a done deal until practices roll around. The junior varsity went 0-4 and it’s uncertain who, if anyone, might be moved up to varsity.

So Mark hopes to at least greet varsity returnees in juniors Bernice Talachy, Nia Moquino, Lucinda Patrus, and Sonia Mendez, as well as sophomores Susannah Murray, Kate Gale, and Amory Malin. And who knows, there might be a transfer or two coming to Prep.

But the team will most likely have a new look and be happy for the experience Mark brings. Coaching-wise, he’s been like a man for all sports and now reaches his goal as a head coach.

“Our family is very happy for Mark,” Ernie said, “and he’s all excited about it. He’s just feeling better in every way.”

The Griffin girls have had much better years and shows the potential is there. Prior to last season, then-head coach Anika Amon posted an overall record of 74-66, with winning seasons four times in six years. Her best was 17-11 in the 2012-13 campaign to cap three-straight winning seasons.

Mark is one of five brothers, but David and Ernie have the coaching experience.

Ernie also coaches the Wildcats’ tennis team. Before he arrived at Desert Academy, he began as an assistant basketball coach at Santa Fe High in 1983, then at Mesa Vista in 1988, followed by taking over as head basketball and football coach at Santa Fe Indian School, and then coaching boy’s basketball at West Las Vegas.

David, the oldest, was a long-time head boy’s basketball coach at Santa Fe High, and now replaces the retired Ron Geyer at St. Michael’s.

In Prep’s case, it’s once again a chance to recover from dismal seasons, as in going 2-20 in 2006-07, and 0-20 the following year, then bouncing back for winning seasons in four of the next five years.

Kurth, the long-time athletic director at the school, said he is happy to bring Mark Rodriguez aboard.

“I did know about Mark’s health issues,’ he said, “and I sense they have given him a different outlook on life and sports that might work for our girl’s team.”

And Mark will see that Prep is familiar with state championships, having won recently in girl’s and boy’s soccer and girl’s track and field. Plus, the Griffins have won many district titles.

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