Atrisco Heritage coach Ortega is leaving to take over APS athletics
Dec. 8—Adrian Ortega is the next face of the athletic department at Albuquerque Public Schools.
Atrisco Heritage Academy's head boys basketball coach and AD on Tuesday afternoon was officially named as the new district athletic director for APS.
"I feel like I've accomplished all I wanted to as the basketball coach at Atrisco Heritage. We truly built it from the ground up," said Ortega. "I feel like this position offers me the opportunity to help a lot more kids at APS."
Ortega, 50, replaces Kenny Barreras, who resigned in October after 17 years. Ortega, who led Atrisco Heritage to Class 5A state basketball championships in 2018 and 2019 and three title games overall, said APS agreed to allow him to coach the Jaguars for three games this week before departing.
Former Centennial High boys basketball coach Steve Heredia, an assistant coach with Ortega, will take over the basketball team for the rest of the season. Heredia coached the Hawks to a state title in 2015.
Ortega's first day at district headquarters is Monday.
"Everyone really had something positive to say about what he can bring to the table and what we're looking for for the next steps of the athletic department," said APS Chief Operating Officer Gabriella Blakey. "For me, I'm impressed with his dedication to serving the community for so long."
Ortega is the only varsity boys basketball coach Atrisco Heritage has ever had. He also is a former head coach at Sandia and Oñate (now Organ Mountain). He is a graduate of Robertson High in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
And Ortega has some very specific designs as he transitions to his next assignment.
"I want to provide them the greatest experience they can have in four years," Ortega said. "Kenny was here for 20 years and I'm grateful for what he laid down as a foundation, but there's so much more we can do within our programs."
Among his ideas are increasing stipends for coaches in the district who generally receive less than ADs at other large schools, and finding a way to allow APS teams to travel out of state for competitions. That type of travel currently is not permitted.
Ortega said giving APS teams a chance to participate in such travel will increase their exposure and give them a better chance to be seen and recruited by colleges.
"The club programs are way ahead of us," Ortega said, "and we need to catch up."
As for what he leaves behind at Atrisco Heritage, Ortega broke the news to his team after school Tuesday.
"Kids are very resilient," he said. "It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. ... (but) I feel like we're on the map and it's time for somebody else to move Atrisco forward."
APS interviewed three finalists; the Journal confirmed that Buster Mabrey, executive director of the New Mexico High School Coaches Association, was one of the other two to interview.
