ECISD Board To Hire 2 New Head Football Coaches, Economedes Principal In Special Meeting Friday Afternoon
By Arnoldo Mata
Edinburg TX – The Edinburg CISD Board of Trustees called for a special board meeting this Friday, March 14, at 5 pm to address head coaching and principal vacancies. No names have been announced as potential candidates.
The Board will address vacancies for Athletic Coordinator/ Head Football Coach at Edinburg North High School, Boys Athletic Coordinator/ Head Football Coach at Edinburg High School and Principal at Johnny Economedes High School.
Economedes Principal
As The Edinburg Advocate reported on Feb. 10, 2025, Jesus R. Mata, principal of Economedes High School, retired from his position with the school district, effective Jan. 31, 2025, following allegations of harassment. The announcement came after an executive session of the Edinburg CISD Board of Trustees.
Superintendent Dr. Mario Salinas confirmed Mata’s departure during the Feb. 4, 2025, board meeting, stating, “As the board is aware, Mr. Jesus Mata has retired and is no longer employed by the district as of Jan. 31, 2025.” Salinas also sought authorization for legal action discussed in closed session but did not elaborate on the details. The Board approved the request.
Mata, 55, was charged in January with harassment, a Class B misdemeanor. Investigators allege he used a burner phone to send harassing and obscene messages in a group chat that included current and former Edinburg CISD employees.
According to an affidavit, an Edinburg CISD employee reported to police on Aug. 19, 2024, that she had been receiving messages from an anonymous number since Aug. 9. The messages contained explicit content about her, her fiancé, and her brother. Authorities later traced the number back to Mata.
When confronted by police on Dec. 16, Mata admitted to owning the number but denied sending the messages. He was arrested and later released from the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.
Once the news of the arrest went public, the district released the following statement regarding the incident.
“Edinburg CISD is aware of the arrest of one of our principals this past weekend. Our district’s police department has been in contact with the Edinburg Police Department regarding this matter. While we cannot comment on specific personnel matters, we want to assure our community that we take these situations very seriously. At this time, the district has taken administrative action and will continue to evaluate the situation as more information becomes available to ensure that appropriate decisions are made.”
Following an emergency meeting held in January, no official board action was announced against Mata at that time.
Coaching Changes
Likewise, as The Edinburg Advocate reported on Feb. 28, 2025, the website “Dave Campbell’s Texas Football” said Edinburg High School head football coach Rene Guzman and Edinburg North High School head football coach Damian Gonzalez had been reassigned.
Guzman helmed the program for four years, posting a 20-24 overall record that included play-off appearances each year. Before his time at Edinburg, Guzman was the offensive coordinator at Weslaco East High School.
Gonzalez lasted seven years running the Edinburg North football program with a 28-42 record. He also took the team to four play-off appearances. While the team claimed an 8-3 record in 2021, the team had dropped to 3-7 this year. He was previously the Cougar’s assistant coach.