Roybal named head coach of Lady Braves basketball

Pancho Morris | The New Mexican

6/30/2008 - 7/1/08

Cindy Roybal no longer will need to saddle her horse and ride a mile for cell-phone service.

At least, not come August.

Roybal is leaving the rural — and rustic — life behind after agreeing to become the head girls basketball coach at Santa Fe Indian School. Roybal and the school made it official Monday morning.

"It's funny how life makes a full circle," Roybal said.

Roybal embarked on her 30-year coaching odyssey at Albuquerque Indian School in 1977. In August of 1978, Roybal and the school moved to Santa Fe and was renamed Santa Fe Indian School.

She stayed at SFIS for eight years, moved to New Mexico Highlands University for the next 17 years as women's basketball coach, and spent three years at Pojoaque Valley High School. She "retired" in 2005.

"There are very few programs I would have come back to, but this is one," Roybal said. "I thought we did a good job of laying the foundation. Then Johnny (Abeyta) took over and made it a state-championship program."

Roybal replaces Abeyta, who resigned in April in response to allegations of sexual activity and underage drinking between a player and J.R. Abeyta, his son and head junior varsity coach.

Johnny Abeyta guided the Lady Braves to the 2005 state championship in their first year in Class AAA. Santa Fe Indian School reached the state semifinals in March.

"Johnny did a great job with the program," Roybal said.

So much so that Pancho Guardiola, SFIS athletic director, was initially concerned that the program might slip following Abeyta's resignation.

"If anything, we think it will continue to move in an upward progression," Guardiola said of Roybal's hiring.

Roybal was one of 11 applicants. She was one of three finalists. She was the unanimous selection of the five-person search committee and was approved immediately by Joseph Abeyta, SFIS superintendent.

"She brings a ton of experience and she has an understanding of the culture and the traditions we hold in high esteem and respects them greatly," Guardiola said. "Her enthusiasm is still very strong and the committee felt really good about her being our next coach."

Roybal will teach health and possibly physical education. She was last in a classroom in 2005. After leaving Pojoaque Valley, she divided her time between Eagle Nest, where she made beds and was a snow mobile guide in the winter, and Pecos, where she worked on her cabin during the summer.

"I'm excited to be back where it all started," Roybal said. "It's going to be fun and exciting."

Especially, when it comes to District 2AAA, which produced last year's state champion in Pojoaque Valley and last year's state runner-up in St. Michael's.

"We're in the toughest district in the state," Guardiola said. "We hope to be in the big mix at the big dance in March."