Pete Vela
Inducted 2012
Hometown: Edinburg
High School: Edinburg High School
College: Pan American University
Best Known for: Athletics Administration and Coaching – Football
b. January 11, 1947
One of the finest coaches and administrators in Valley annals, Vela was a two-time Rio Grande Valley Coach of the Year who during his tenure served as state director of the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association and the Texas State High School Coaches Association.
The Edinburg High School grad (1965) was on the all-district football team for the Bobcats under Coach Fred Akers, graduated from Pan American University, and then earned a master's degree from Texas A&I University in 1976.
After a number of jobs as an assistant coach, he was a head coach for nine years at Mercedes and McAllen Memorial, winning two district titles for Mercedes; his Tiger defense was No. 1 in the state in 1988 and first in the Valley in 1985.
His career included 25 years in coaching and 15 years as an athletic director, and among his accomplishments were the institution of wrestling and girls' soccer while AD at Weslaco.
Known for his brilliant preparation for games and motivating intensity during them, Vela became a father figure in many of his players' lives. But they always knew he meant business when a vein in the excitable leader's neck started popping out. He was the personification of passionate commitment.
Vela received the ultimate award in 2011 when he became only the fifth AD in Valley history to be named to the Texas Athletic Directors Association Hall of Honor, joining Richard Flores, Joe Rodriguez, Chipper Zamora and Poppy Rodriguez in that select group.