Chapel Hill’s Lady Bulldogs were enjoying a successful soccer season when the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the season.
Chapel Hill was 9-1 in District 14-4A competition and had allowed just four goals in district play.
Next season, the Lady Bulldogs will have a new head coach as the school district has hired David Guajardo.
“I am stoked,” Guajardo said. “Everyone who I’ve spoken with during the interview process and afterwards with HR, have been gracious and supportive.”
Guajardo, who replaces Andrew Eisenbacher, has spent the past three seasons at Tyler Lee on the staff of Chris Woodard. The Lady Raiders won 51 matches in that span.
“I’ve been wanting the opportunity and responsibility of a head coaching position for a while,” Guajardo said. “After thee years at Lee High School, I’ve learned so much from Coach Woodard and Coach (Sara) Hernandez.
“Fortunately for me, Coach (Dennis) Teuber (varsity assistant Lee boys soccer) text me about this opportunity just before Coach (Jeff) Riordan (Chapel Hill head football coach and athletic director) started the interview process. I did a little research online, liked what I saw and decided to email my résumé to Coach Riordan.”
Guajardo has coached club soccer for 10 years with Sting, Texans and now FC Dallas ETX. He’s also worked numerous camps.
Guajardo graduated from Fort Worth Nolan Catholic High School and then played soccer at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina.
Guajardo transferred to the University of North Texas where he got a degree in art history.
Guajardo said his team will display “possession, position and pressure … the Barcelona model.”
“We will try to keep the ball, play out of the back and move our offense through the ball. When we lose it, we will pressure the other team with the players closest to the ball while the rest of the team drops into our defensive shape. If we do everything right, then even when we are defending, the Bulldogs are on the attack.”
Guajardo said his philosophy is simple.
“The harder working team normally wins,” he said. “We want to train at game speed and start games fast. As a coach, my goal is to combine fitness with technique constantly to improve players. As players improve, we add more and more pressure. The goal on the field is to create a team who outruns our opponents, play with skill and foul the least. The goal off the field is to create student-athletes who enjoy working hard, are willing learners with a positive outlook and who intentionally show respect to others.”