Tuloso-Midway promotes O'Neal to full-time AD, names Villarreal head football coach

Tuloso-Midway ISD announced Tuesday it is splitting the athletic director and head football coaching duties beginning in the 2024-25 school year.

Kris O'Neal will remain the district's athletic director and add to his administratve role with T-M ISD and associate head coach James Villarreal has been promoted to head football coach at the school.

O'Neal has been with the district three seasons, leading the Warriors to two playoff appearances and winning records in 2022 (6-5) and 2023 (8-3).

Villarreal completed his first season at T-M as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator. He has coached for 13 seasons at Ingleside, Beeville, San Antonio Marshall and Veterans Memorial, where he helped the Eagles reach the state semifinals twice.

"Coach Villarreal is one of the young shining stars in coaching, not just in the Coastal Bend, but in the entire state," T-M ISD superintendent Steve VanMatre said. "The relationships that he has built in the year he has been here have been phenomenal. He has close networking with other coaches in the region, high school and college.

"His family values align with the T-M community. He involves his family in everything. We are excited to have him as our new head football coach."

With Villarreal leading the Warriors defense, T-M had the second-best scoring defense in the state in Class 4A Division I (14 ppg.)

"I am so excited to continue the success and momentum we have going into next year," Villarreal said. "When I got here, it was a little bit of a rebuild even with the prior success they had, but building on that was awesome. We have had an amazing offseason. We won the district track meet with only one senior.

"We've gotten faster and become more competitive in everything we are doing. I jumped at the opportunity when they presented it to me. I'm excited about it. I will put my brand on the entire team, not just the defense. I am excited for the summer we are going to have."

Van Matre said in addition to more administrative duties, O'Neal will expand his roles at the junior high and elementary level helping align the physical education programs with the upper levels of the district.

Villarreal said his goals continue to be winning the district title for the first time since 1975 and winning the school's first playoff game, goals that he said can be accomplished in the program.

Villarreal is a Sinton (2005) and Texas Lutheran University graduate.

He and his wife Elysa have four children — Viviann, Olivia, Sophia and James Jr.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Tuloso-Midway promotes O'Neal to full-time AD, names Villarreal head football coach