Bernalillo settles its boys basketball coaching situation

This isn’t exactly how Bernalillo planned on this unfolding, but the Spartans do now have a firm plan for their upcoming boys basketball season.

Bryan Gonzales, 54, will be the school’s associate head coach next season.

A month ago, Bernalillo announced that former Rio Rancho High standout Chris Williams would fill that role, but Williams had a change of heart, Spartans athletic director Ira Harge Jr. said, and the school had to start over.

Gonzales is a former St. Michael’s player, assistant to Harge when Harge was coaching the Pecos High boys to multiple state championships, and also a former girls head coach at both Pecos and Escalante.

Harge is going to serve as the program’s “executive” head coach next season. Harge led Pecos to four consecutive state titles (2017-2020).

Gonzales sat on the Pecos bench as an assistant with the boys. He also later was the Pecos girls head coach when the Panthers won the Class 2A state title in the pandemic-shortened spring season in 2021. At Escalante, Gonzales took the Lobos to the 2A state final in 2023, where they lost to Texico.

Gonzales and Harge will collaborate at Bernalillo, Harge said, with Gonzales running the show with assistance from Harge, especially at home games. Both men will formulate game plans and work together on player development.

“We’re excited to get to November,” Gonzales said. “I think we’ll have a good team this year, I think we’ll surprise a lot of people.

Gonzales coached the Bernalillo girls soccer program last season. He will be focusing on basketball only for the 2024-25 school year.

Gonzales said the unique coaching situation at Bernalillo would not be a hindrance.

“The title stuff doesn’t bother me,” he said. “We’re there for the boys and the community. For us, it doesn’t matter who gets credit.”

Harge reiterated that this plan should exist for a season or two, before Gonzales’ “associate” title is dropped.