Jerry Comalander
Churchill High School
What was your Best Rivalry?
Robert E. Lee for several years and later Judson
What was your Favorite Rivalry?
Robert E. Lee
What was the best Coaching Staff you faced?
Hard to say; some coaches have better material but certainly Judson would have to be one of the best.
What was your favorite Coaching Staff you faced?
Robert E. Lee
What were the FIVE Best teams you coached?
1976; 1981; 1978; 1983; 1982
What were your FIVE Favorite teams you coached?
1976; 1981; 1983; 1978; 1982
What award have you won. (Coach of the year, Hall of Honor, etc.)
Selected to be the head coach of Winston Churchill High School 1975; THSCA Hall of Honor 1991; Texas Coach of the Year 1976; San Antonio Coach of the Year 1987.
What was your Favorite Coaching Staff you NEVER (Coached Against)?
John Marshall when David Visentine was the head coach
Name a storied program you never played & wanted to play against?
Odessa Permian
All Time Team while you were a Coach (1st Team at Every Position) You can have more than one at a Position if you choose.
I can’t do that. Too many great players. Too many players who received honors due to the competition for those honors and too many who did not receive an honor because of the competition at their position. Lastly, I have developed many friendships with our former players and I would not be comfortable selecting one over another.
Just suffice it to say we coached many all state players and many who played in the THSCA all star game. All City and All District players were numerous.
Could you have started or played on your All Time Team?
No, not at the position I played in high school.
Tell us about your sons or daughters that played or helped on your Teams.
I have two sons and it was my great privilege and honor to coach both of them. They were good athletes who worked hard and both started on very good teams.
Gary was our leading receiver in 1981and ran great routes and could catch it if he got his hands on it. We were eliminated in the semi-finals that year. He went on to play at Baylor University for four years. Gary coached for many years before going into administration and is now the Principal of Johnson High School in North East ISD.
Mark was our quarterback in 1982 and 1983. Both years we were eliminated by a district rival in the quarter-finals. Mark was an outstanding player who went on to start for four years at Rice University. As a freshman he set the SWC record for the most passing yards ever (356) by a true freshman against Houston. Mark was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and spent five months with the Falcons before going into business.
He is a successful employee with a major Johnson & Johnson company. It was a great thrill for me to have coached my sons and have them put up with me as their position coach as well as being the head coach. I can truthfully say we have a great relationship today. I could go on but will close by saying they each have been married for over twenty years, they each have two children, and they are great husbands and fathers.
Tell us about Your Coaching History
I coached for 27 years and was the Executive Director of Athletics for North East ISD for 27 years.
I was privileged to begin my career with Marvin Gustafson in Devine, Texas. Gus was a great mentor. He taught me a successful plan for coaching and provided great insight into handling people and working with people. Devine was great town to begin a career. We won big although we did not advance deep into the playoffs. I spent six years in Devine with four as the head basketball coach and all six as an assistant football coach.
From there I went to Uvalde, Texas and spent six years as the head basketball coach, assistant football coach, and head tennis coach. The highlight was winning the state championship in football in 1972. It was during that year that I decided my goal was to become a head football coach somewhere. I had hoped to get the head job in Uvalde but it did not work out.
I followed Marvin Gustafson to Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio in 1973 and became the head coach of the Chargers in 1975. Churchill High School was a great place to coach. We had great athletes, great administrative and faculty support, and great parents and community support. And on top of that I was privileged to have an outstanding coaching staff who not only knew how to coach but also how to motivate young athletes to perform at their best. It was a special time in a very special place.
I was a blessed coach with a great coach’s wife and family. We lived the dream of all coaches for 27 years. I never thought about doing anything else until the offer to become the Executive Director of Athletics at NEISD came. I always coached a position along with being the head football coach and my love of coaching made it a difficult decision. However, the chance to still be involved in athletics and make an impact with kids through coaches and still be connected to the game was to good to turn down.
Fifty-four years in high school athletics in Texas was a dream come true for a boy who grew up in the small South Texas towns of Big Wells and Dilley.
Toughest thing about not Coaching once you left the sidelines?
I truly missed coaching kids. I missed practice. I missed the coaches and just being at a high school where something is happening all the time. I really don’t think I ever lost my passion and love of coaching. It was a big change but one I embraced and moved into with ease due to the preparation I had from Devine, to Uvalde, and Winston Churchill and the coaches with whom I worked every day.
Best thing about the School that made you want to stay there?
I said it above. I loved coaching; I loved practice; I loved seeing the kids run in the dressing room and get dressed and line up on the “red line” and then we went to work; I loved the interaction with our coaching staff and I loved the excitement of Churchill High School. There was no one best thing.
Churchill High School was full of outstanding athletes and school people and kids who supported the team. After being the athletic director for a few months I told my wife one day that I had been spoiled at Churchill High School. Everyone there wanted the Chargers to be successful and not everyone where I am now want our programs to be as successful as what I had become used to.
Toughest thing you had to face or deal with at this school?
Two things were tough. Not being able to play every kid in every game. They all worked hard and contributed to our success. The second was talking to a kid after the season whom you had convinced could play with anyone and then at the end of the season there were zero college offers or not the ones he wanted. I disliked both.
Who was your mentor or mentors?
Marvin Gustafson. I started with Coach Gustafson and spent 12 years with him in three different schools. He was the best. The foundation for whatever success I was privileged to be part of in my career began with Coach Gus. We coached hard and had many good times including family time. I learned early on to make it FAITH – FAMILY – FOOTBALL.
Why did you get into the coaching profession and who influenced that decision?
My parents were both in the school business. My Father was a small town superintendent and coach. My Mother kept the books besides teaching full time. He could push you to achieve and also support you when you needed it. I saw that in him every day. I wanted to coach but was convinced by others to be an engineer.
The best thing that happened to me was to accept a basketball scholarship to Rice University and find out that the chemical engineering department was going to be just fine without this boy from by Big Wells by way of Dilley. Yes it was hard and being hard I realized it was not for me or to stare at test tubes and formulas all day. I now think the good Lord had a plan for me that included attending a tough university with a tough course of study that would send me where I belonged. It was a decision I have never regretted.
Record as a Head Coach year by year & Playoff Round achieved?
1975: 9-1;
1976: 15-0 state champs;
1977: 7-3;
1978: 13-1 semi-finalist;
1979: 8-2;
1980: 10-1 regional finalist;
1981: 13-1 semi-finalist;
1982: 10-3 quarter-finalist;
1983: 9-3-1;
1984: 6-4;
1985: 6-4;
1986: 9-2 bi-district finalist;
1987: 11-2 quarter-finalist
How many players did you coach that became coaches?
Not sure but a bunch.
How many assistants did you have that became head coaches?
Two
Biggest win of your career?
I would have to say beating Temple 10-0 for the state title in 1976. They had 92 yards of total offense. Our kicker in that game had never kicked in a game before and he kicked barefooted and our receiver caught his first TD pass of the year. The kicker was two for two – PAT and one field goal.
We were the first team in San Antonio big school history to go undefeated and untied and win the state title 15-0. One of the most exciting games was a 35-34 win over John Jay in 1982 when both of us were ranked in the state’s top ten. We went into the fourth quarter 18 points down and our son Mark threw a 32 yard touchdown pass on the last play of the game for the win.
Toughest loss of your career?
They were all tough but the 1981 loss to Houston Yates in the semi-finals in front of 33,000 at Rice Stadium with the score tied 31-31 with 40 seconds left in the game and them with fourth and ten at mid field. Their wide receiver broke a tackle at about 8 yards and ran it to our 19. When the officials had stopped the game in the last three minutes to cover the stats we were ahead in penetrations and they said first downs were tied. We were about to kick off and I told our kids the goal line was our twenty and when they got to our nineteen I am convinced our kids relaxed and they scored.
Unfortunately the stats we were given were incorrect and we were actually ahead in first downs by three. The other was a loss to Judson in 1982 by 10-7 in the quarterfinals in front of 22,000 at Alamo Stadium. I think we fumbled three punts and they completed three of thirteen passes. Two lost yardage but one went for fifty yards and a touchdown. I don’t think I am over those two yet.
Most exciting game to coach in?
1976 for the state title vs Temple; 1981 in the semi-finals vs Houston Yates; 1982 in a non-district game vs Jay
When/How did you & Carl Padilla meet?
Carl showed up at more than one of our booster club meetings in 1976. After asking me several questions after a meeting and of course making several suggestions I asked someone afterwards who he was. I was told he graduated from WC and lived in the Valley and drove his car around with a Churchill Charger bumper sticker on it. We became good friends and there is no doubt that he was a great supporter of the Churchill Chargers.
Any comments about the Padilla Poll or other stories that you might wish to share?
Carl is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to high school sports and especially football and especially the Winston Churchill Chargers. He can get a little over bearing at times with his facts and figures but he is a dedicated supporter of coaches and loves the game. His Padilla Poll is his passion and I have great respect for his love of the game and coaches. Not enough room or time for all the stories.