Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Texas Southmost College selected a familiar name to lead the men’s and women’s National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) soccer programs when they made it official that Mario Zamora will serve as head coach.
Zamora will leave his role as Brownville Pace boys soccer coach to lead the men and women’s NJCAA program starting at Texas Southmost College.
Zamora served as the coach during the team’s time as a club program. As a college student, he played on the Brownsville at UTB/TSC Soccer team.
“I’m very excited and honored to be the head coach for the women’s and men’s soccer program at TSC,” Zamora said. “I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, TSC President Dr. Rodriguez and TSC athletic director Dr. Ponce for giving me the opportunity to become the first coach for TSC. I’m really excited and ready to roll and showcase our talent.”
Executive Director of Athletics and Civility Dr. Armando Ponce spoke about Zamora and how he will be able to hit the ground running at Texas Southmost College’s newly revived athletic program.
“Zamora’s familiarity with TSC and the club team and with the culture is a big benefit,” Ponce said. “He’s able to connect with local players. Graduating from Hanna, being an alum and playing on the team gives him an advantage as far as being competitive and wanting to win at this program. He really understands the type of players that we have.”
Zamora was at the helm during the Scorpions’ last few seasons, including trips to the regional and national tournaments.
Zamora has also shown initiative in his quest for knowledge on and off the pitch. He obtained a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in Health and Human Performance from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. In soccer, he holds License A-D from Federacion Mexicana de Futbol and his E & F Youth License from US Soccer.
“From an educational standpoint, he’s already been a teacher in the past, so you know he understands the importance of education,” said Dr. Ponce.
Zamora’s first order of business? Hosting open tryouts on Feb. 16th, his first official day of work. Rosters will be set by the start of play in August. Player announcements will be coming soon.
“I’m ready for this program to be a powerhouse at the collegiate level,” Zamora said. “I know we have the talent, I’m just excited for our first home game in August to see the whole community come out.”
For more information about the athletic program, including about recruitment onto the soccer team reach out to Dr. Ponce at 956.295.3570 or via e-mail at armando.ponce@tsc.edu
