San Benito Greyhound head football coach Spencer Gantt is shown at a recent football game this season. (Photo by T.J. Tijerina)
By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com
San Benito High School Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Spencer Gantt will be wearing purple and gold for more years to come.
Antonio G. Limón, Superintendent of Schools for San Benito CISD, confirmed Wednesday a two-year contract extension for Gantt, whose contract was set to expire in March of 2012.
Limón added that the head coach’s salary will not see a pay raise, keeping Gantt, who has amassed an 18-12 career record with San Benito over three seasons, at $93,000 annually.
This is the second contract extension granted for Gantt, the first of which came in January of 2010 following his first season as Greyhound head coach. In ’09, his debut, Gantt led the ’Hounds to a 6-4 record before dropping round one in the playoffs. San Benito then went 4-6 the following year before again losing the first game of the playoffs. This season, the ’Hounds won its first district championship, a share with Weslaco, since 2004. The ’Hounds went 8-2 on the year, losing only to the undefeated, state-ranked Harlingen Cardinals and the 32-5A co-champion Weslaco Panthers.
Another sporting program that has enjoyed success during Gantt’s tenure as athletic director is the Lady ’Hounds softball team, who were last season’s Elite 8 finalists… a feat not accomplished by any other Valley squad before them. Then there’s the girls’ basketball team winning its first district title, the volleyball squad recently winning its first playoff game in the history of the program, and girls track maintaining its stranglehold on the competition by successfully defending its district championship status for consecutive years.
“We’re very pleased with the overall athletic programs in San Benito,” Limón said of Gantt’s performance. “If you look at volleyball, softball, basketball, track and football; the athletic director is doing a very good job and hopefully for many years to come after that.”
Gantt was pleased with the opportunity to continue coaching San Benito football and to guide the athletics department toward further improvement.
“I’ve been very blessed in San Benito with a great and supportive administration and a great board that believes in what we’re doing,” Gantt said Thursday. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re doing the right things, and we’re getting better every year.”
To see this story in print, pick up a copy of the Nov. 13 edition of the San Benito News.
Recent Comments