Watsonville High last week named Max Gonzales and Austin Luigard the new head coaches for the baseball and boys basketball teams, respectively.
Gonzales replaced current head football coach Tige McSwain after he spent the past three years in the dugout, while Luigard stepped in for Andre Bailey following his three years at the helm.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to lead this program and represent Watsonville High School and our community,” said Gonzales in an email. “Watsonville has been home to me, and I am excited to continue building a program that develops our players on and off the field, while creating something our school and community can be proud of.”
Gonzales has been coaching baseball in the area for 11 years, including six years at the high school level. His first stint as an assistant coach at Watsonville was from 2018–19, and then became head coach at Anzar High from 2021–22. He returned to Watsonville in 2022 as an assistant coach.
Gonzales’ vision for the baseball program is to emphasize player development, accountability, teamwork, academics and character.
“My goal is to develop young men who are prepared to succeed not only on the baseball field, but in the classroom and in our community,” he said. “I am excited to work with our players, families, coaching staff and community to build a program that Watsonville can be proud of for years to come.”
Luigard grew up in Los Banos, where he was team captain of the Pacheco High basketball team. He went on to play at Gavilan College for three years and during the off-season would coach at his alma mater at Pacheco.
In an email, Luigard said his calling to coach came during the summer going into his last season at Gavilan.
“I knew I’d rather be a coach than a player when I found more fulfillment helping players get better than myself chasing a scholarship,” he said.
Luigard spent the 2018-19 season as an assistant coach at Notre Dame de Namur University — an NCAA Division II school. His time was cut short after the school shut down its athletics department due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Luigard coached AAU basketball with West Coast Elite Silicon Valley in the summer of 2021. He took a break in 2022 following the birth of his daughter, but returned two years later as the freshman head coach at Pacheco.
Fast forward to April, Luigard’s dream of becoming a varsity boys basketball head coach came true.
“I was honored to receive this amazing opportunity to accept the position at Watsonville High School,” he said. “It’s more than just being a coach to me, it’s about creating a special culture and community. My vision is to mentor young men and prepare them for life outside of high school through the beautiful sport of basketball.”
