For the first time in nearly a decade and a half, the departure of Harlingen High’s Bryan Aughney and Harlingen South’s Tony Leal has left Harlingen CISD simultaneously searching for two varsity head baseball coaches.
Aughney leaves the Cardinals after a successful five-year stint during which he rejuvenated the program and led the team to three playoff appearances.
“I’m very thankful to Coach Manny Gomez and (Harlingen High principal) Imelda Munivez for the opportunity they gave me,” said Aughney. “The senior class that is coming in has a great nucleus of guys to get them in a great position to compete for a district championship.
“But besides the baseball specifics, the other little things that we talked about on a daily basis will hopefully give them the tools to be successful not just on the field, but also in the classroom and in their life beyond athletics.”
Aughney departs the program for the head baseball job at Our Lady of the LakeUniversity in San Antonio.
Prior to his arrival at Harlingen, Aughney found success at the University of Texas at Brownsville where he spent five years with the Scorpions program. From 2008-12, Aughney accumulated an overall record of 124-107 and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament twice.
“It’s a move I’m excited for because I’ve wanted to go back to the college game and I think it’s a great opportunity for myself and my family,” said Aughney. “I think it’s a good fit for my family and where our family values align with. I think with what I wanted to do in my long-term and overall career, it was a great opportunity and good timing, and things just happened to line up.”
According to the Harlingen CISD website, Harlingen South is also looking for a head baseball coach as Tony Leal no longer seems to be the Hawks’ skipper.
However, it’s unclear as to why Leal is no longer part of the program and attempts to reach him for a response to the matter went unanswered.
Leal was named the Hawks head coach in 2005 and quickly turned the program into a powerhouse as in 2007 he led the Hawks on a historic run to the UIL Class 5A state championship.
