Donna High School coach arrested, resigns

Four years ago, March 2020, things were looking pretty good for Mike Gonzales. Donna ISD had just hired him as head football coach for the Donna Redskins.

For the 2001 Donna HS grad, it was a dream come true to return to the Redskin Reservation.

Gonzales had made a name for himself as part of the Weslaco East football program, which had been to the UIL State Football playoffs for the past 12 straight seasons, making it to six regional finals.

With a master’s degree under his belt, which could always open doors for future higher administrative jobs if that’s what he chose down the line, the future looked bright for Gonzales, still in his early 40s, until, that is, this past early Sunday morning rolled around.

The Advance hasn’t yet got its hands on the criminal complaint recounting Gonzales’s arrest early Sunday morning, at approximately 2:45, but it’s the sort of arrest, coupled with the criminal charge behind it, the criminal complaint made public, that will forever end his career in education as a coach and educator.

According to several Donna sources in the know, along with a report published by KRGV.com, Gonzales, a married guy, was allegedly dating a 25-year-old until things went south this past weekend.

The police report apparently says that a Weslaco cop rolled up on a rowdy scene outside the Dollar Tree store along Exp. 83 early Sunday morning where a man and a woman were arguing.

The woman told police that she and the Donna coach had been an item for the past seven years, but on this particular night, uh-oh, they were at a bar when she came across questionable texts on his cell.

An argument ensued (Source: KRGV.com), and Gonzales took her phone and left the bar. The woman hopped into her car, followed him to the Dollar Tree, where both parked and got into a heated scuffle. She wanted her phone back, and allegedly Gonzales responded with a smack across the face before pushing her head into a side window, followed up with another strike on the neck before allegedly grabbing her neck, strangling her a series of times.

This narrative summary comes from the Weslaco PD criminal complaint, as reported by KRGV.com.

County jail records show Gonzales was booked early Monday morning on a charge of assault of family/ house member, impeding breath/circulation. He was later released that same day on a $2,500 bond.

Not long after, Coach Gonzales tendered his resignation to the Donna School District.

Police reported that while interviewing Gonzales at the Dollar Tree, he had bloodshot eyes, his balance unsteady, and his speech slurred. (Source: KRGV. com) He declined a breathalyzer.

Bad FB Break for Donna

With an assistant head coach, Jeromi Harris, now leading the team, the Donna Redskins had a tough break going into this year when its star QB, Geoffrey Lefevre, bolted Donna HS after three years, taking with him his throwing arm and his number- 1 RGV player ranking.

Edinburg Vela, a team known for siphoning top talent from neighboring districts, right or wrong, got its new quarterback, Lefevre, who stands at 6’ 4” and weighs in excess of 200 pounds, in a package deal that included his dad being offered a coaching job.

How good is the kid? Lefevre has 44 career passing TDs and more than 5,000 yards passing, starting with his freshman year already playing varsity, albeit not at the starting position. Last year, his completion percentage hit its peak: 61 percent.

Donna High had such high hopes heading into this season. Now, the Redskins are without their head coach and their standout QB.