BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield's newest high school, Del Oro, is gearing up to play football at their new stadium, and the 19th high school in the Kern High School District has a new head coach as well, Pete Hernandez.
"There's a couple of guys on staff, but Pete was our man," said Del Oro Assistant Principal Chris Sanchez.
Pete Hernandez Jr. will lead the new school, which opened just last year in August, into its first season of varsity football this fall.
"Yeah, everything at this point is incredibly surreal," said Hernandez. "That's kind of like when you finally finish the race, you kind of look around and go, 'Well, I'm here,' so I'm still taking it in. But I'm enjoying every second of it. This is a dream of mine for the better half of 20 years. I just feel like it's finally here and I'm ready to take that step, and I'm ready to to what I have to do to make this kid successful."
Hernandez grew up in Bakersfield. He coached football and wrestling at Foothill High School, and is already the varsity baseball coach for the Del Oro Suns.
"I think the biggest thing for us here is the link to the community," said Sanchez. "I think this community needs people that have been tied to it and Pete's been coaching on the east side of town for a long time. I think he's a good role model for these kids. Again, he came down here to teach, to make a difference, not to coach, and so he wanted to coach, but it just kind of opened up for him. So it's been a win-win for him."
It's a dream come true for Hernandez to lead a new program, and he hopes to create something special in Southeast Bakersfield.
"Building and creating a whole student is what's important here, and it's what pretty much every staff member here agrees upon is what we're trying to do," said Hernandez. "We have one mission for these kids: We want these kids to be successful."
