Oklahoma Panhandle State has officially hired Victor Esparza as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach.
Esparza filled the position in an interim role this past season and led the Aggies to their best record (14-14) since 2007-2008. The team also posted six wins in the highly competitive Sooner Athletic Conference during their inaugural term as an NAIA program. Esparza proudly placed two players on the All-Conference roster and boasted seven students on the fall 2017 Dean’s and President’s Honor Rolls.
University President Dr. Tim Faltyn is pleased to have retained Coach Esparza, and expressed pride for what Esparza has accomplished thus far, “It means a great deal to the Aggie family for one of our own to grow into the kind of coach that will have a positive impact on so many lives now and in the future.”
An alumni of Panhandle State, Esparza has an inherent interest in the progress and future of the university. Prior to the 2017-2018 season, Esparza served as the assistant coach at Panhandle State under Head Women’s Basketball Coach Charles Terry (2016-2017). He also held the assistant coach position for the Aggie men’s basketball team under Head Coach Jerry Olson from 2007-2013. In his interim away from Panhandle, Esparza was an assistant women’s coach at Missouri Southern State for one season and then entered the high school ranks, getting his first head coaching opportunity at Raton High School in New Mexico. For two years he not only led Raton’s women’s basketball team, but also served as the school’s athletic director. Upon his return to Goodwell, Vic’s previous experience led him into the Assistant Athletic Director position at Panhandle State in 2017.
Athletic Director Meghan Mulcahy spoke on Esparza’s selection, “I am very excited to have Coach Esparza taking over the Women’s Basketball team on a permanent basis. His enthusiasm and existing relationship with the team will help build upon the great foundation he was able to implement as the interim head coach. He did an excellent job of changing the culture of the team this past year, and I am looking forward to seeing what he will do in the future.”
Esparza is already building on bigger and better goals for next year, with qualifying for the post-season tournament at the top of his list. Esparza projects, “We plan on getting better top to bottom, our players and myself included.” It is his personal drive for constant improvement and the dedication to his team’s improvement that steered success both on and off the court this past year for the Aggies.
When asked for comments on their head coach, two current players were quick to respond. Junior shooting guard Monti Regier spoke with admiration, “Hiring Coach Vic is easily the best decision the woman’s program at OPSU has ever made. He makes us want to come to practice and work hard for him. We come to succeed because we want to make him proud. It’s easy to work hard for someone who works just as hard for you.” Regier continued, “The best thing about Coach Vic is that he makes us so much more than just a team, he makes us a family. We know that he is going to be there for us whenever we need him, and he will do whatever he can for us. He’s honestly the best coach I’ve ever had.” Teammate Addison Munsch agreed whole-heartedly with Regier’s assessment stating, “It was a great decision to hire such a striving coach who wants us to be great in all aspects of the game. He pushes us beyond what we think we are mentally capable of. Monti said it the best, Coach Vic makes us succeed together. I’ve never been a part of a team where the coach brings us all together to work for one another and succeed as a whole.”
Coach Esparza is elated with the opportunity and eager to move the program onward and upward, “As the new head coach of women’s basketball at Panhandle State University, I am humbled and appreciative of the opportunity Dr. Faltyn and Meghan Mulcahy have given me. I look forward to building Panhandle State women’s basketball into a consistent championship-caliber program both on and off the court, and I promise to work diligently and with passion to take this program to new heights.” Esparza added, “I would like to thank the entire community and the Panhandle State community for their support during the 2017-2018 season. I thoroughly enjoyed the year as the interim head women’s basketball coach and I am excited for the opportunity to continue leading the Panhandle State University women’s basketball program. We hope to build on our success on and off the court. We have a tremendous group of student-athletes, and I am eager to help them develop as students, players and stewards in the community.”
http://opsuaggies.com/news/2018/4/20/general-aggies-name-victor-esparza-head-womens-basketball-coach.aspx
