TAMUK alumnus gives insight on career
In the heart of Javelina Nation, alumnus Marco Regalado got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant for the Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) football team. Regalado found his passion for coaching during his time at TAMUK after falling out of love with his first career choice of becoming a physical therapist. Regalado is now the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Running Backs coach, but he always remembers where he came from.
“My time at Kingsville definitely helped me decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Initially I wanted to be a physical therapist, changed my mind and you know came to Kingsville and wanted to try athletic training and ultimately found my way into coaching here as a graduate assistant under coach Wilkinson and Dave Brown. So it really helped me find what my passion truly was and what I wanted to run with for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the connections I made here at Texas A&M Kingsville,” Regalado said.
Regalado accredited many leaders in his life who have taught him not only lessons on coaching, but as well as life, these mentors and leaders are people Regalado speaks to regularly.
Although it wasn’t his first career path, the passion for the game of football started at a young age in his small town of 14,000 residents- Zapata, Texas, playing for Zapata High School and Head Coach Mario Arce.
Regalado learned the values of living in South Texas where athletes are overlooked and has made it a point to give South Texas athletes homes at the collegiate level.
“The way Marco expresses himself every time we meet or he addresses our athletes, you know talent is everywhere. It’s just a matter of being able to find it,” now offensive coordinator for Roma High School Arce said.
“The venue that our kids play in, obviously most of the time, we don’t have that media coverage per say, but at the same time he’s out there making sure that our kids and kids from South Texas don’t get left out. There’s talent all over the place. It’s just a matter of somebody finding it, and Marco is now one of the people that we can now depend on and utilize, as long as he’s able to he’s always gonna be putting himself out there trying to help our kids,” Arce said.
From spending time at several college organizations such as the Washington State football team, Rice University football team, and even spending time with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, Regalado has found a way to impact his athletes in every step of his journey. Regalado’s large success is an inspiration to members of Javelina Nation who have big dreams just as he did.
“Sitting back and looking at it, it’s just amazing. He coached my brother here at SG (Santa Gertrudis Academy) a 3A school and seeing him progressively just achieve, whether it’s at Washington State, Rice, helping coach for the Jaguars and coaching now at UTRGV he’s made huge steps and huge leaps and bounds from where he was before. Seeing that whole growth and everything he’s been able to do coming from where we are now right now here at TAMUK, it truly shows that anybody can do anything, you know I could do something big just like he has,” Javelina athletics student assistant Mark Paz said.
Regalado kept the recipe for success short and simple.
“The main thing I would tell you is to network, network is a big one. Always be a good person, always work hard and never be afraid to shoot your shot because you never know where things will lead,” Regalado said.
