PROFILE: New Athletic Director

PROFILE: New Athletic Director

Coach Gunter Rodriguez, a longtime employee of Olney ISD, has taken the position of Athletic Director of the Olney Cubs and Lady Cubs athletic program after holding the position of principal of Olney Elementary School for six years.

“I have always had a passion for athletics for many years,” Coach Rodriguez stated. “As a young student- athlete, I remember the process of setting goals and then working towards achieving those goals.”

Rodriguez remembers the camaraderie of not only the athletes, but also the coaches as well. “I was very fortunate to have a group of coaches that cared about their players and pushed us to be our best,” Rodriguez said. “Those men were very influential in my life. I wanted to have the same influence on the student-athletes that my coaches had on me. I truly believe in the power of athletics to instill many important values in young people.”

In short, Rodriguez seeks to allow students to reach their full potential in all parts of life. With that in mind, he is excited to see the direction that the athletic program is heading towards.

“There are lots of things that excite me about a fulltime return to athletics,” Rodriguez said.”First and foremost, I’m looking forward to the relationships with the student-athletes. I’m a very relational guy. I love talking to kids about life in general. I like building bonds with people as we strive for a common goal.”

In the past, Rodriguez has also had a history of coaching with Olney before and has gained a positive reputation through those years. He credits his education and his family background for his successes.

“I graduated from Bonham High School in Bonham, Texas. That is a town in north-central Texas that is about the size of Graham,” he said. “My mother was a career educator and I believe that I got the desire to work in education from her. After high school I attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. I earned a Liberal Arts degree in General Studies and went through the teacher preparation program. I was very fortunate to receive a fine education in high school and college.”.

In 2016 Rodriguez earned a master’s degree in educational leadership as well as a principal certification from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, which has proven very beneficial to his career. He is excited to take the reins of the athletic program and intends to steer the program in the right direction.

“I fully intend for us to continue to build on the successes and foundation that Coach Jody Guy established here,” said Coach Rodriguez. “ We have been fortunate to have some very talented coaches pour their life into this program over the past several years. I want to see the program expand on those successes.”

Rodriguez wants the program to value every partic- ipant’s social, spiritual, academic and athletic development. He hopes to prioritize not just the student-athletes, but also the community.

“It’s important to me that all student-athletes know that I am interested in their development as a person,” commented Coach Rodriguez. “Yes, I want to see our student-athletes experience real success on the field, court, track, etc.. However, who they become as a person, as far as their character, work ethic, spiritual development, etc., is far more important to me than what they do inside of the white lines of a playing surface. I’ve always said, “If we are wearing red and if somebody is keeping score then WE WANT TO WIN!”.