About Coach Torres
Parents: Ruben Torres Jr. and Catherine Posey.
Siblings: I have 2 brothers, Ruben III and Matthew.
Marital Status: I am married to Angie Torres
Children: We have 5 beautiful children, Jennessey Jordan (19), Marcus Paul (14), Joseph Paul (10), Andrew Louis-Paul (6), and our newest and last addition is Jasmine Elise who was born in September of 2019.
Education: I attended Crosby Elementary from grades PK-5, Canyon Hills Middle School from grades 6-8, and graduated from Irvin High School in the year 2000. Received Bachelors of Science degree in Health Sciences from the University of Texas at El Paso with a minor in Secondary Education in 2004. In April of 2019 I received my Masters degree in Education from Concordia University Texas with a specialization in Sports Administration.
As a kid:
I grew up in northeast El Paso and still live in that area now. Being so close in age to my brothers we were constantly playing and causing stress for our grandmother who raised us, (both parents always worked) and taught us discipline and the value of hard work. Our lives revolved around sports and family, which is something that has not changed. The first sport I ever played was t-ball, followed by basketball, football, and although I am extremely embarrassed to admit it now, I even played soccer for a couple seasons. Throughout elementary school I was pretty consistent with basketball and baseball, it wasn't until 7th grade that football consumed me. I wanted to play at a younger age, but my mom felt that because it was at the beginning of the school year I would not be able to focus well enough to keep my grades up (I personally think she didn't want to take me to practice! Which is crazy considering the coach called our house and offered to pay the rent during the season, crazy right? But true!). Anyway, I was dying to play football, I couldn't wait to get started, we had some good coaches in middle school, Coach Elliott and Coach Matthews, both did a nice job of instilling discipline and character in us, and they also did a good job of implementing the Irvin system like middle school coaches are supposed to do. I continued to play basketball for the school because I wanted to be around my friends and basketball was fun, but I knew sooner or later I would stop, unlike most people in El Paso, I realized there are no 6'1" centers in college or pro basketball, needless to say I saw the writing on the wall. After losing a bet to Coach Elliott in the 7th grade I had to join the track team, which I was totally against (who would have known that track would help pay my way through college), but true to my word I was there for the last 3 weeks of the season, low and behold I ended up as the division and district champion in the discus (something that would continue throughout middle and high school). During middle school I met the person who would most influence me, Tony Shaw. Coach Shaw was the head football coach at Irvin High School and he visited our practices weekly, which made a big impact on a lot of us. "What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve", we all learned and believed that statement as Irvin players and many of us still talk about it to this day. During high school I was a 3 year letter winner in football and track, and a 2 year letter winner in baseball. I was a member of the All District and All City football teams, all city, regional runner up, regional champion, 2 time state qualifier in the discus as a track athlete.
College:
I walked on to the track team at UTEP, and after the first practice Coach Kitchens called me into his office and put me on scholarship. Coach Mika Laaksonen was my event coach, Bob Kitchens was the head coach, and these two men would greatly influence me and my philosophy as an aspiring coach. Coach Kitchens was literally the "Boss", he was in my mind the most professional coach I was ever around, he was tough as nails, very organized, very intense (I have never seen a man get so red so fast! It was cartoonish.), and very successful. Mika was, and is a perfectionist. He was a national champion hammer thrower for UTEP in the early 90's, a tireless worker, and a master at technique. Combine coach Shaw's ability to reach young people, coach Kitchen's intensity, and Mika's attention to detail and you have a well mentored young coach. During college (immediately actually) I became a dad, Jennessey was born when I was 19, and although it made college a little harder, I was able to focus and graduate in 4 years. The last 2 years of college I was very busy, I knew I was going to be a high school coach, so I was very lucky to get my foot in the door at my alma mater as volunteer football coach for Leon Stewart (who was assistant head coach while I was in high school) at Irvin. Basically, what I did was go to as many practices as I could, help the tight ends and kickers, and during games I would sit in the box between the offensive and defensive assistants, write everything down, look, listen and learn. What a blessing it was for me to get my start like that.
As a teacher/coach:
Irvin High School
I was hired by one of my former coaches and mentors, Leon Stewart, in 2004 right after graduation to be a physical education teacher at Crosby Elementary, and coach football and track at Irvin. In 2007 I was promoted to head track coach and co-offensive coordinator (Joe Urias was the offensive coordinator, and a great person and coach) under head coach Cliff Olander (Cliff was the offensive coordinator while I was in high school, and a hell of a football coach). I had some great kids to work with, during my time at Irvin: Frank Aguirre, Mike Smith, Zeke Villareal, Davonte Wallace (NMSU), Jeken Frye (Tarleton State), Miguel Edwards, and Robert Castanon, just to name a few.
Austin High School
In January of 2009 I was hired by Ruben Batista at Austin High School to be the Defensive Coordinator and alternative teacher. The transition was great, although it was tough to leave my alma mater, my time at Austin was a blessing. Coach Batista was a great person to work for, and without a doubt there is no one who loves Austin High School more than he does. I was the alternative teacher, and I can tell you that Austin has the nicest troublemakers in America. Working with young people is my passion, it is the most gratifying feeling to see a young man succeed at something that he previously could not. I love the kids I coached at Austin, they responded to us well, they wanted to be successful, for the most part they were coachable, and we had absolutely no problems with discipline.
Franklin High School
In the spring of 2012 I was hired at Franklin High School in El Paso, TX. I taught Health on the main campus and was the Offensive Coordinator and QB's coach under Head Coach Daren Walker. We finished the 2012 season as District Champions, Bi District Champions, and Area Finalists for the 2nd consecutive year. Some of the highlights of the season were; winning on the road vs. Central (1st game in San Angelo as well as the Bi District game in Midland), winning the West Side Bowl (45-7!), winning a share of the District title, Marcos Hernandez was named the "Built Ford Tough Player of the Week" by Fox Sports Southwest for his outstanding 5 TD game versus Americas, and having an overall record of 10-2. As an offense we led the district in several categories, most importantly points scored (474), rushing yards (3,051), and total yards (5,688). We ended our season as the #4 ranked offense in the State of Texas in class 5A with a total of 5,688 yards of offense (474.1 yards/game), as well as the City's #1 ranked team overall. We were led by a great senior class that included; Marcos Hernandez, Vince Garcia, Derek Elmendorf (UTEP), Connor Potts (Harvard), Devin Houx (Air Force), as well as underclassmen Cameron Candelaria and Nick Bingham. The 2013 season was not quite as expected however as an offense we were pretty impressive. We ended the season as the #3 offense in the state, we led the district in the following categories; total yards (5,710), total points (481), yards per game (519.1), points per game (43.7) rushing (2,929), and rushing yards per game (266). We were led by QB Cameron Candelaria, RB Nick Bingham, WR's Goose Dorsett and Aaron Smith, and QB Baylor Romney who took over when Cam was injured late in the season. The 2014 season was my last at Franklin and it was a special season that came to a heartbreaking end. We began the season beating Canutillo, who would go on to win the region 1-5A division 2 championship and advance to the state semi final game. We went undefeated in district play to earn our 2nd district title in the 3 seasons I spent with the Cougars. We were on fire with players like QB Baylor Romney who would sign that winter with Nevada (after completing his mission he would end up at BYU with his wife Elise and brother Gunner), RB Nick Bingham who would sign with Texas State, WR's Gustavo Mendoza-Dorsett (Cornell), Braxton Hatch (Dixie State), and Aaron Smith. An early game injury to Baylor in the playoff game with Tascosa would lead to a heartbreaking last second loss on a FG to end the season and my stint with the Cougars.
Pebble Hills High School
I was hired in December of 2014 to be the first Head Football Coach and Athletic Coordinator of the newly opening Pebble Hills High School of the Socorro ISD in El Paso, TX. This was a dream come true, to become the Head Coach and AC of a class 6A program in the state of Texas. We started this program literally from the ground up (as I was hired the facility had yet to be completed), and our players and staff have worked tirelessly to bring our program to respectability in West Texas. We have completed 3 varsity seasons up to this point entering the 2019 season. In 2017 we earned our first playoff appearance in our first season with a full team and seniors, going 8-3, playing in a number of big games and earning statewide recognition with a team of week honor from Dave Campbell's TF, the EP Times voted Kevin Esquivel our MLB as Defensive MVP and myself as Coach of the Year. 2018, we made a return trip to the playoffs and had our first division 1 football signee in RB Caleb Gerber, who was the district 1-6A MVP, and signed with the Air Force Academy. 2019 was a very up and down season for the Spartans, we had so many issued completely blindside us from injuries, to personnel concerns, to illness, etc. Thru it all we still managed to fight thru all of that adversity and find ourselves earning yet another playoff appearance after going on the road to defeat Coronado in the last week of the season. We did not play one single game at full strength in 2019, it was incredible what our players and coaches had to overcome. In the end our class of 2020 produced several college football players: Isaiah Davis (UT-San Antonio), Sebastian Ochoa (McMurray), Anthony Romero (Western NM), Zach Pomele (McMurray), Andrey Denson (Gustavus Adolphus). Class of 2021 produced another college bound athlete in Jalen Partida who was a multi time All-District performer, one of the best all around athletes our program has had, who signed and starred at Oklahoma Panhandle St. as a wide receiver. The class of 2022 produced a couple more college players as Manny Chavez signed to play DL at Beloit college and 3 year starter Fernie Herrera, signed to play D2 ball at New Mexico Highlands.
In the summer of 2018, I was selected to the Texas High School Coaches Association Board of Directors for region 4, the first coach from El Paso to have received the honor. In the Fall of 2020 I was asked to be an area director for the newly formed Hispanic Texas High School Football Coaches Association (HTXHSFBCA).
2022 was a historic year for the Spartans. We began the season as the El Paso Times' preseason #1 team and we ended in the same position. Our team posted a record of 10-2, won our first district title, won our first bi-district title, and battled in the area round coming up short 42-49 to North Crowley. Our team was led by 1-6A MVP Gael Ochoa, athlete of the year Jacob Ledesma, defensive MVP Bobby Deal, and game changers Jalile Bost, and Kole Pellerito. Many players we named "Stansbury Certified" our entire Offensive Line, Gael, Jacob, Marcus Torres, Bobby, and Jalile. We defeated district 2-6A champion Permian in the playoffs 45-28, a historic performance for one of the best teams in El Paso football history. 2023 ended up being my last in Sparta. It was such a privilege to open Sparta and establish the "RISE" Culture in that community. I was able to coach Marcus all 4 seasons and see him earn an opportunity to play at UTEP as he graduates. Gael Ochoa, was an early graduate and began his college career at UNLV mid year. We leave Sparta in great shape as a program in each sport and we pray that the administration places the right man in my position to make Sparta bigger and better than it has ever been.
Hays High School
On Monday, February 22, 2024 The Hays CISD school board approved hiring me as the Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach at Jack C. Hays High School. My family and I are beyond excited about becoming part of this community and establishing a Culture that will help our Hawks RISE. My first impressions of this program are that the coaches and players work extremely hard and are committed to having a great program. Coach Goad did an outstanding job in his time here at Hays and I hope to build on the success that he, Coach Lehue, Coach Feldt, and of course Coach Shelton established.
As a family:
I am married to an elementary school counselor, Angie, we have 5 kids. Jennessey (22) loves to sing. Marcus (17) is a heading into his Senior year at Pebble Hills this school year and we are looking forward to being together each day at school. Joseph (13) begins 8th grade this year at Puentes and Andrew (9) attends Butler elementary school where my wife is a counselor and is in 3rd grade. Jasmine, our little lady, will be turning 4 this September. I am lucky to have a wife who supports me and my passion for coaching, it can't be easy with all the hours that it takes, but she is the best woman a coach could ever ask for.
My 2 brothers are also teachers and coaches. Ruben is the Head Coach and Assistant AD at Marlin High School. Matt is the Head Coach at Sharpestown High in Houston, TX.