2008, Gerardo Jauregui was a fresh college graduate with a degree in social studies, looking to get his first teaching job. Lyford School District was willing to give him a chance. He began teaching middle school Texas history, and during his first two years, he coached middle school football, track, and basketball. Today, he serves as the Athletic Director at Lyford CISD, leading district-wide improvements powered by purpose, precision, and a tangible sense of urgency.
“I basically lived on the bus for my first couple of years because of the hard work and the culture that had been set in the Lyford coaching staff,” says Jauregui. “I kind of just grew through the ranks and eventually got moved into varsity sports.“
From middle school sidelines to varsity coaching and a stint as assistant principal, Jauregui’s journey to become Lyford’s AD has been comprehensive. Over nearly two decades, he’s earned the trust of his peers, the confidence of his athletes, and the support of his community.
“My career goal was always to be an athletic director,” says Jauregui. “A big reason why I tried that assistant principal role and got out of my comfort zone was to get some administrative experience.”
Building for the future
A major turning point for the school district came in 2022, when Lyford CISD passed a 24 million dollar bond to fund everything from a new auditorium to athletic facility overhauls. Jauregui was at the forefront of the process, from input on square footage to equipment selection and installation logistics. The result was a high-performance athletics complex that included new turf fields for football, baseball, and softball, brand-new fieldhouses, refurbished locker rooms, a dedicated athletic training facility, and a fully customized weight room with Magnum MX Racks from Matrix Fitness.
“Our superintendent at the time was Dr. Kristen Brown,” Jauregui says. “She did a great job setting everything up, and she had those conversations with me, ‘Hey, Coach, we’re going to go and spread the wealth around. We’re going to help out athletics, academics, we’re going to help out our band team as well. We don’t want where only one part of our district is getting everything, like athletics.’ So, we did spread everything around.”
The new weight room is a testament to Jauregui’s larger vision — a vertically aligned, professionally run, and student-centered athletic program. Equipment assembly was orchestrated by Matrix Fitness to maximize the space and meet the needs of over 70 students at a time. The weight room features fully customized double-sided MX Racks, school-branded dumbbells, a striking centerpiece bridge with the Lyford logo, and built-in weightlifting platforms. Everything was meticulously measured to fit into place perfectly.
“We’ve never been the doormat of the district,” says Jauregui. “Our kids are very competitive. They’re very appreciative of what we have too. They’re humble kids. We haven’t had the best facilities in the past, but we’d go to opponents and the students would say, ‘Hey, coach this is a very nice weight room.’ But they’d never complain, they would never say, ‘Hey, coach, how come we never have this?’ No, they’re just very appreciative. So if you can imagine, now that we have all this stuff, they’re very good as far as taking care of our equipment and our facilities. They’re very appreciative kids.”
Managing complexity with connections
With coaches spread across three schools, practice schedules overlapping age levels, and more than 380 student-athletes rotating through facilities, coordination is key. A major part of Jauregui’s role involves communication between schools and departments, juggling field logistics, transportation, academic obligations, and administrative priorities. It’s a challenge he embraces with deliberate structure and a student-first mindset.
“One of the biggest challenges is realizing the coaches are teachers first,” says Jauregui. “I have to respect that part. They have classrooms they attend to. Coaching is their passion. I make sure they understand we have necessities as administrators as well, that we try to be there for our kids all the time. The communication with other administrators, the conversations with parents, that’s something you’re always going to face as an administrator.”
Budgeting is another puzzle Jauregui pays close attention to, leaning on a mix of district funding and athletic booster club support. Jauregui’s approach emphasizes needs over wants, tracking booster club contributions by sport, and maintaining fairness through rotation.
“I have an excel spreadsheet where I see how much assistance each sport has asked for,” Jauregui says. “I have a rotation because if we ask the booster club for something every time our coaches ask for something, it’d be a long list. So I approach it like, ‘Do you need it? Do you want it?’ There’s a difference in that. If you need it, I’ll try to help you out as much as I can. If they’ve been asking for something a couple of years in a row, I explain to them, ‘Our other sports need assistance as well.’ I just try to be as fair as possible.”
Proactive Safety Protocols
Safety is paramount in the South Texas heat. With temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees, Jauregui relies on a team of two certified athletic trainers and student volunteers who take a class in athletic training.
“These are practicum classes for kids who are interested in being athletic trainers in the future,” Jauregui says. “Our athletic trainers have anywhere from 10 to 15 kids who oversee the things they do. They show them what it’s like to be an athletic trainer throughout the day — setting up the water stations for sports, especially in the afternoon practices, taping — all of that.”
That level of care doesn’t go unnoticed. Lyford’s student trainers have qualified for state-level athletic training competitions two years in a row, earning respect across the region.
“I had no idea until last year that there’s competitions for them here in South Texas,” Jauregui says. “The first time they participated, they qualified and ended up going to state. They are going to state again this week, two years in a row. They go in and compete and showcase their athletic training skills.”
Leading Lyford forward
17 years since he started at Lyford, Gerardo Jauregui evolved from a teacher coaching middle school athletes to the district’s leader of athletics. His story is about building strong foundations, showing up, working with what you have, and building systems that make every student feel valued.
“It’s not me by myself,” Jauregui says. “I would not be able to do everything by myself. I have a great team, and they really step up to the challenges. Nothing ever goes as planned. When something goes wrong, we have a saying: ‘Adapt and overcome.’”
Whether it’s budgeting, communication, athletic facilities, or temperature management, Gerardo Jauregui embodies effective athletic leadership — organized, responsive, and resilient. The athletic facilities may be new, but the heart of the program is the same: hard work, humility, and doing what’s best for every student.
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