Wayland Baptist promotes Hinojos to head coach
PLAINVIEW — Marcos Hinojos, a member of the Wayland Baptist football staff since 2015, has been promoted to head coach of the Pioneers, the school announced Thursday.
Hinojos had been interim head coach since Butch Henderson resigned in late November. Wayland reinstated the football program in 2012 after a 71-year hiatus, and Henderson went 32-75 over the past 11 seasons. The Pioneers are mired in a stretch of four consecutive losing seasons, including 2-8 records in 2021 and 2022.
“I believe coach Hinojos will do a fantastic job," Wayland Baptist athletics director Jim Giacomazzi said in the announcement. "I’m very pleased with where he wants to take the football program, both on the field and in the classroom. Change begins with how a student-athlete thinks. This philosophy is very much in line with the mission of the university."
Hinojos joined the staff as linebackers coach in 2015 and moved up to defensive coordinator.
Wayland said the opening attracted more than 60 applicants and Giacomazzi interviewed several at the American Football Coaches Association annual convention last month in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"It was a very difficult process," Giacomazzi said. "We had numerous applicants with fantastic references." He added that Hinojos emerged as "the clear choice."
"To see what Marcos has done with the program since November has been impressive," Giacomazzi said. "I feel he’s changing the direction and changing the culture of the program."
Hinojos graduated from Lorenzo High School in 1986 and played middle linebacker at Eastern New Mexico from 1986-91. He spent 23 years as a defensive coordinator at Coronado, Wichita Falls Rider, Plainview, Kermit and Fort Stockton high schools and as an offensive coordinator at Lorenzo. He also served as athletics director and head football coach for four years at Plainview before coming to Wayland.
Tech baseball
Texas Tech designated hitter Ty Coleman is a first-team honoree on the preseason all-America team released Thursday by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
The first team consisted of 12 position players and 10 pitchers.
Coleman is a senior from Midland Lee. He batted .318 last season with eight home runs and 59 runs batted in, helping the Red Raiders go 39-22 and reach the final of the NCAA Statesboro Regional.
Tech track & field
Texas Tech's second-ranked men's team and No. 13 women's team will compete Friday and Saturday at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque.
This is the only weekend before the NCAA indoor championships that Tech is not at home hosting a meet. The New Mexico meet gives the Red Raiders a chance to familiarize themselves with the Albuquerque Convention Center, which will be the site of the NCAA championships March 10-11.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: College sports roundup: Wayland Baptist promotes Hinojos to head coach
