Orange Grove football coach/athletic director Mark Delpercio reassigned within district
Orange Grove head football coach and athletic director Mark Delpercio confirmed Tuesday he has been reassigned within the district.
Delpercio said Tuesday the Orange Grove ISD Board of Trustees voted 4-3 to not renew his contract past this year. The reassignment is effective immediately and Delpercio said he did not know what position he would be reassigned to in the district.
Delpercio, 53, took over the Orange Grove program prior to the 2018 season after a short stint as an assistant in the Houston area. Earlier in his career, he put together a successful coaching career in Delaware where he won more than 150 games and three state championships.
Delpercio compiled a record of 20-24 in four seasons at Orange Grove, which included playoff appearances in all four seasons. The Bulldogs spent Delpercio’s first two seasons in Class 4A Division II and the last two in Class 3A Division I.
Delpercio said he was “somewhat” surprised by the district's move.
“Myself, my coaches, the players we all felt that things were going in the right direction,” he said via cell phone on Tuesday. “I don’t have all the answers yet and I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
During the early part of 2021, Delpercio said he and some Orange Grove students were suspended in connection with an alleged hazing incident at the school involving a student on school grounds.
At least six teenagers were arrested in the incident after a complaint was filed by the accuser in May 2021, according to a story in the Alice Echo News-Journal. The incident was also investigated by the Texas Rangers.
Delpercio said he is unsure if that incident went into the trustees' decision made Monday night.
“There was disciplinary action taken against me and the boys involved and there were consequences for that in the spring,” Delpercio said Tuesday. “The school board, which is the same school board now, was adamant about the fact that once they served their time we would move forward.”
Delpercio said on Tuesday he was not sure at this time what his next step would be, but added he likes South Texas and would like to continue to coach.
New Orange Grove superintendent Eddie Hesseltine did not immediately respond to a text message earlier on Tuesday.
Len Hayward is a USA Today Sports Network Region sports director and the Caller-Times sports editor. Support more coverage like this by checking out our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Orange Grove High School football coach Delpercio reassigned
