GONZALES — With eight years of experience serving as an assistant football coach, Eddie Ramirez is ready to take on the task of serving as the head football coach for Gonzales High School.
Ramirez, a three-sport athlete at Gonzales and 1993 graduate, has lived in Gonzales all his life and has plans to serve as head coach to the best of his abilities.
“I have a lot of support, not just from my family, but from the community and the group of coaches that have signed up to help,” Ramirez said. “People have asked me how long I am planning to stay, and I tell them I grew up here, am an alumni, have my daughters in the District and have already coached for eight years. I plan on doing my best to help our student-athletes succeed for as long as they let me.”
Ramirez, a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo alum, works as a software engineer from home and feels that he will have the flexibility to be available to speak to parents, players and Gonzales High administration.
Ramirez and his wife Angie are raising fifth-grade daughter Camilla and kindergarten student Daniella, who enjoys telling people her dad is a coach.
“My eldest daughter Camilla has been our varsity water girl since third grade,” he said. “She is always asking how she can help me. Angie and I have been married since 2000 and together since 1992. I couldn’t do what I do without her support.”
The upcoming football season will be a challenge for Ramirez and his staff as the Spartans were bumped up to the Mission Division of the Pacific Coast Athletic League. The division will include Soquel, Carmel, North Salinas, Santa Cruz, Gilroy, Monterey and Soledad.
“Our offense will be similar, run first with multiple fronts with a lot of motion,” Ramirez said. “We have talent in the backfield and we’re going to give them a chance to shine.”
Gonzales Athletic Director Margie Daniels organized and took part in the interview panel that chose Ramirez as the new head coach and feels that he has the knowledge to be a good coach.
“I’m happy Coach Eddie was willing to take on this new role,” Daniels said. “With all that has happened this year, I think it is good and such a relief to have someone the kids are familiar with, understands the culture, and provides some kind of consistency with our student-athletes. Eddie has seen first-hand the program at its low, its high and in between, and I’m sure the experiences and knowledge collected over the last eight years will be useful.”
