Andy Pineda, his family, and the Edinburg City Council posing in front of a graphic of Pineda being declared a City of Edinburg Hometown Hero

Football

City of Edinburg Honors Football Student Coach Andy Piñeda as Hometown Hero

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The City of Edinburg honored The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley football student coach Andy Piñeda as a hometown hero on Thursday at the Edinburg Arts, Culture, and Events Center.
 
Piñeda is one 13 honorees and will be represented with a mile marker during Edinburg's Sixth Annual Hometown of Heroes Half-Marathon on March 8.
 
The honorees are all residents of the four-time All-America City of Edinburg and were nominated for their extraordinary contributions to the community through their dedication and service.
 
Piñeda attended De La Vina Elementary, B.L. Garza Middle School, and Edinburg North High School. Upon graduation, he entered the military and served four years in the U.S. Army. Piñeda was stationed at Fort Bragg with the 82nd Airborne Division and was deployed twice, first on a humanitarian deployment to Haiti in 2010, and then on a combat deployment to Iraq in 2011. 
 
After being honorably discharged, Piñeda moved back to Edinburg where he met his wife, Chelsea. They reside in Edinburg and have three children, Madelynn, Noah, and Delilah.
 
"It is an honor to be recognized by the City of Edinburg as a hometown hero, and it was an even greater honor to serve," Piñeda said. "Though they only selected a few individuals for the award, this is a huge recognition for all veterans past and present in the All-America City of Edinburg."
 
Piñeda is attending UTRGV as a full-time student while serving as a student coach with the football program. This past season, Piñeda helped the Vaqueros achieve a 9-3 record, the best ever by a first year FCS program.
 
"We're excited for Andy and excited that he's a part of our staff," UTRGV head coach Travis Bush said. "He is a tremendous human who works with relentless effort and enthusiasm every day. He adds value in so many different areas and is a great role model not only for our student-athletes but for our entire staff as well."

In his free time, Piñeda volunteers with the Edinburg Parks and Recreation Department to help coach and mentor young athletes in sports such as softball, baseball, and basketball.

Support UTRGV Football | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube
Print Friendly Version