By Glen Rosales
Special to the SUN

It’s taken more than four months, but the Española Valley High School football team finally has a new head coach.

Frank Galvan, who last season was the offensive coordinator at Sunrise Mountain in Las Vegas, Nevada, will take on full-time duties beginning in June, he said.

Until then, Galvan, who has already made several trips to Española, will continue his visits to make sure the off season program is progressing.

Galvan, 55, comes to the Sundevils as a first-time New Mexico coach, after coaching stints in Las Vegas and California.

It was just two years ago that the Sundevils were in the Class 4A semifinals and there is no reason the program can’t return to that level under Galvan, Española Schools Superintendent Carl Marano said.

“We want to get the program back to where it was a couple of years ago,” he said. “I think coach Galvan has the right mindset to do that.”

Galvan said he’s well equipped to bring that to fruition, with a resume that includes four consecutive seasons as coach of the year while at North Hollywood High School a decade ago. During his tenure in California, where he started in 1994, he also coached at the Roybal Learning Center and at Pasadena High, also in the Los Angeles-metro area.

Before his stop at Sunrise, Galvan spent two years as head coach at Cheyenne in North Las Vegas, compiling a 5-15 record.

Moving east to New Mexico, however, was easy after visiting Española and meeting people there, he said.

“The community values kids and that’s important to me,” Galvan said. “I saw a place where I could build something. Where the kids and parents take account and have pride. That’s the kind of an environment I want to be a part of and support.”

Galvan becomes the Sundevils third coach in as many seasons after Tylon Wilder guided the team to a 9-4 record, the best in program history in 2024. The team had its first home playoff game and reached the semifinals for the first time ever.

But Wilder then left to coach at Sandia High School in Albuquerque and he was replaced by rookie head coach Caleb Holbrook. Española went 5-5 under Holbrook, failing to reach the playoffs and the coach was not retained shortly after the season ended.

Then the search began and it appeared the Sundevils secured a New Mexico coach, chosen from among three applicants. But the logistics did not work out and the search was renewed, with several new candidates emerging, but Galvan’s track record was too strong to ignore, Marano said.

“I think that’s what attracted coach Galvan,” he said. “I think everybody sees the potential in the program. We have a group of young, talented freshmen and underclassmen, as well. It’s definitely an attractive position. The potential is there.”

Galvan said he’s not here for a quick fix, but rather to turn Española into a perpetual contender.

“We’re going to represent the school and the community the right way,” he said. “We’ll take pride in what we do on the field and in the classroom. We’re going to a build a program that’s organized and built to last.”

The plan is for Galvan to come in soon to begin talking with the returning players and start planning a summer program, as well as begin implementing the playbook.

“We’re getting all the basics in,” he said. “I believe in simplicity when I do things. That’s who I am. I want to play fast and hard. It’s about working on getting faster and getting stronger.”

Then it’s time to watch some tape and eventually see the players on the field.

“I have to evaluate the players to see where we are at size-wise and speed-wise and talent-wise,” he said. “We have to see if we’re going to be a running team or passing team and work to their strengths. We want to put the kids in the best position to shine.”

Then it’s a matter of creating a self-sustaining program.

“Culture is everything,” Galvan said. “How we work. How we practice. How we treat each other. Once the culture is established, it takes control and the wins will be there. Football will take their culture and we’ll build them into young men who the community can be proud of.”