EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Eric Pichardo, head football coach at Austin High School, is one of eight statewide nominees for the 2025 Tom Landry Award.

The award is presented annually at the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame Banquet, happening this weekend in Waco.

The recipient must be a member in good standing of the Texas High School Coaches’ Association, should have made significant contributions to athletes and the game of football in Texas, and have served as a positive role model for both athletes and coaches alike.

Since it was established in 1990, no El Paso coach has ever won the award.

It’s a long shot but my whole career has been a long shot… so to be the first one would be a thrill… I’ve had best kids to coach and they accept what we bring on to them. And I say we because we, it’s not myself, it’s just, it’s not me by myself. It’s a lot of us assistant coaches and me coaching these kids from Bowie and Austin over the last 28 years, Pichardo said.

Coach Pichardo has been a head coach for 28 years, the last 8 of which have been at the helm of the Panthers.

The Panthers are coming off a season that featured a district 1-4A-D1 title, going undefeated in district play, and a playoff berth.

Coach emphasized that the players on the team were the reason for their success in 2024.

We really, really focus on the character of the kids. We harp on it every single day that we see them. And I think that led us to go undefeated because there were at least two or three games that we should not have won, Pichardo said.

He says he has the utmost respect for every single coach in the Borderland, and that this award would not be about him.

This wouldn’t be a one-person award. It’s a it’s a whole the whole district from from top to bottom. You know, representing all five districts that we have here in town. So this this award would not be for me. Well, it would be for everybody here in town, Pichardo said.

Pichardo will not be attending the banquet in Waco on Saturday; he will be attending his daughter’s college graduation.

He says that even if the award goes to someone else, he will be winning no matter what.

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