ABILENE, Texas — Abilene's Cooper High School has a new girls soccer coach for the upcoming school year.
Abilene Independent School District Executive Director of Athletics Jim Garfield announced Thursday the district has hired Alejandro Chavez for the role.
Chavez spent the last three seasons (2020-2022) as the head coach of the men’s soccer program at Hobbs (New Mexico) High School, where he led the Eagles to a combined 41-11-1 record and three straight District 4-5A championships (17-1 combined district record in three seasons).
“Coach Chavez is all gas and no brakes,” Garfield said in a release from the district. “His energy and passion for the game of soccer stood out during the interview process. He will bring energy and knowledge of soccer to the Cooper girls’ soccer program. We’re very excited to welcome him to the AISD family.”
Chavez is a 2018 graduate of McMurry University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies. He also holds a master’s degree in health and human performance from the University of the Southwest. While at McMurry, he was captain of the Warhawks’ soccer team as a senior.
In fall 2017, he helped McMurry to a record of 8-6-3, the program’s most wins in a season since 2011. During that season, he allowed only nine goals in 16 games and saved 69 shot attempts. For his success during the 2017-2018 school year, Chavez was named team MVP and won the Bill Libby Award as the McMurry Male Athlete of the Year.
“I’m excited about my future at Cooper High School and grateful to become the next head coach of the girls’ program,” Chavez said in the release. “The success of these student-athletes matters the most, so I’ll push them daily to be their best.”
Chavez served as an Abilene High School intern and assistant coach in 2017-2018 and was an assistant coach at McMurry in 2018-2019. He also served as a substitute teacher for AISD in spring 2019.
