Apaches add familiar face with ‘world experience’

GONZALES — Victor Camarillo might be new to the coaching staff, but Gonzales — especially the Apaches athletic program — is all too familiar to him.

Originally from Victoria, Camarillo comes to the Gonzales Apaches with world experience and versatility that athletic director Kodi Crane hopes to be an asset for the athletes.

“Several people applied [to the job] and he was by far the best fit,” Crane said of Camarillo. “He grew up in Victoria but he has family here in Gonzales. He knows Gonzales, he knows the area and it was an absolutely no brainer [hiring him].”

Camarillo attended Victoria High School and graduated there.

“Once I graduated, I went to when it was Southwest Texas [now named Texas State] for six months, then after an injury that I had, killed my drive, so that put me out there,” Camarillo said.

After years in the family business, eventually he went into coaching, a career that’s always been on his mind throughout school.

“One of my mentors was a coach back in Victoria High that was very influential in my life,” Camarillo said. “So I thought hey, that’s what I want to be some day. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for me in the beginning, but it’s working out for me now.”

Camarillo would find a place in Skidmore-Tynan ISD before moving on to Schulenburg for two years. Despite the lack of experience, Crane believes his “world experience” will be a big positive for the Apaches.

“He was a guy that graduated, went into the family business, and was there for a while and then eventually got into coaching,” Crane explained. “So he has world experience, has three years in the profession, but he has world experience which will be great for our kids to. Just going to fit like a glove we hope.”

Camarillo will be busy this year, assisting in football, basketball and baseball. But being occupied with different sports throughout the school year is exactly what he wants to do as well as athletes in the program.

“I think kids today that are involved in multiple sports across the board have different types of disciplines,” Camarillo noted. “If they learn new things, I think in life, that’s what’s going to help them out when they get older. It’s just one of those things as far as when you’re in multiple sports, you’re not just focused on one thing, it opens up your mind to different types of situations that you can kind of rise to the occasion to solve.”

As far as familiarity, Apache fans may recognize the Camarillo last name.

“My family is from Gonzales,” Camarillo said. “The Camarillos are pretty much well known around here. Gonzales is a hometown to my parents but to me I was born and raised in Victoria.

“I was very welcomed here in Gonzales because of that, family here and everything else. Gonzales was my second home because of my parents. We come and visit all the time because when my grandmother was alive, we’d get together. If you know my family you know there’s a lot of us. We’re a big family. I already know Gonzales.”

World experience, familiarity with the area, Camarillo has the tools for success in the Apache program. And being here in Gonzales, a town where his parents grew up in, is one of the most exciting things for the new coach.

“[I’m excited to] just being able to coach at a school that my parents were born and raised,” he said. “I think that’s cool. My dad is no longer with us but he would probably be laughing in disbelief that I’m here now.”