From deep in the heart of Texas – specifically, in the Rio Grande Valley less than 20 miles from the United States-Mexico border - Robert Capello has distinguished himself as one of the nation’s all-time greatest boys basketball coaches.

During his illustrious coaching career that spanned the years 1965 to 2012, Capello compiled a 982-475 win-loss record, which ranks No. 14 for all-time career victories in the NFHS’ National High School Sports Record Book.

Following stops at Mission High School, Barbers Hill High School, Lyford High School, Donna High School, Port Arthur Thomas Jefferson High School and Uvalde High School, Capello returned to his high school alma mater of Edcouch-Elsa High School. There, he led the Yellowjackets to heights of glory for more than 30 years.

Similar to many others who have attained such extraordinary success, Capello’s beginnings could be described as humble and unassuming. His parents, Agustin and Julia, were first-generation migrant workers who sought a better life for their children in America.

Capello, who was born in 1940 in the small farming community of La Sara, Texas, loved sports and dreamed of playing professional baseball. During his youth, Capello and his siblings picked cotton during the summer months. The family moved to West Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee to work various crops to support the family.

After attending La Sara Elementary School, Capello and his family moved to Elsa, where he attended junior and senior high school. There, he realized many of his athletic dreams.

In the autumns, he was a standout 5-foot-8, 140-pound football quarterback. During his senior year in fall 1959, he led Edcouch-Elsa to a perfect 10-0 record and to a No. 10 ranking in the state before losing to Sinton High School, 30-28, in the bi-district game. In recognition of his skills, Capello was selected to the all-state team, was named District 32-2A MVP, was recognized as one of the top quarterbacks during the decade of the 1960s, and was named Rio Grande Valley All-Millennium quarterback.

Interestingly, Capello played both football and basketball at Edcouch-Elsa for Elbert “Lum” Wright, who is a 2004 inductee into the NFHS’ National High School Hall of Fame. The two reconnected a few years later when Capello served as one of Wright’s assistant football coaches at Mission (Texas) High School from 1965 to 1968.

“We had a very good team my senior year that scored a lot of points,” Capello recalled. “In that bi-district game with Sinton, we had three touchdowns called back – we could have used those. As a team, we were also very versatile and had a great running back. I had a good arm and threw for more than 1,500 yards that season.”

However, it was during the winter months that Capello carried his football quarterbacking skills to the hardcourt where he orchestrated his team as a standout basketball point guard.

“One of my greatest strengths was my passing ability,” Capello said. “During my sophomore year, we had a pretty good basketball team that advanced to the regionals, where we got beat. The following year, we tied for the district. Donna High School was in our district. We had some pretty good, competitive games with them – they had height and good shooters.”

Following high school, Capello attended Texas A&I College on a football scholarship. There, he played cornerback for coach Gil Steinke on a team whose entire offensive backfield earned either All-Conference or All-American honors. After graduating in 1965, he continued his education with a master’s degree at Sam Houston State University (Texas) and a mid-management degree in school administration from Sul Ross State University (Texas).

Following stints at six high schools, Capello returned to Edcouch-Elsa, where he enjoyed his greatest success as a longtime boys basketball coach. In 20 of his final 25 years there, his teams qualified for the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) playoffs. During his final eight seasons, he led the Yellowjackets to seven district championships, along with one co-championship.

The 1990-91 Edcouch-Elsa boys basketball team.

Throughout Capello’s career, his teams were characterized by their tenacious man-to-man defense and great outside shooting. His 1990-91 squad perhaps best personified that shooting philosophy, as according to the National High School Sports Record Book, it attempted a then-national-record 1,078 three-point field goals, making 348 (32.4 percent conversion rate).

In addition, that team lit up scoreboards by exceeding the 100-point barrier 18 times, scored 3,896 points for the season, and finished 30-4. The Houston Post ranked the team eighth in the state among Conference 4A schools.

“That was a very special team,” Capello began. “It was a team that coaches with 50 or more years experience often don’t get the opportunity to coach.

“We had a great 5-foot-6 point guard named Tony Rojas who averaged 12.5 assists a game, which at the time ranked third all-time in all Texas enrollment classifications. My son Randy, who was a 6-0 senior two-guard, led the team in scoring at 26.3 points a game and hit a team-high 127 three-pointers. Six-one guard Ray Garza was right behind him with a 24 points a game scoring average and 122 three-pointers. Up front, we had 6-1 Xairer Rios, who averaged 14.1 rebounds per game – which ranked him fifth in the state – and 5-11 George Borrego, who had an amazing nose for the ball and was second on the team with a 10.1 rebound average.

“Not only were they gifted basketball players, they were also academically gifted. I’d tell them something once, and they learned it. We had 16 players on that team, ran the Loyola Marymount offense, and used a platoon system similar to what John Calipari uses at the University of Kentucky.”

Capello and his wife Gloria are the proud parents of four sons – Robert Jr., Rick, Ronny and Randy. Capello had the rare privilege of coaching all of his sons during high school. Rick, Ronny and Randy followed in their father’s footsteps and became teachers, while Robert Jr. practices law.

Shown above are Robert Jr., Robert, Gloria, Rick and Randy

“It was a lot of fun to coach my sons – game plans were often discussed at the dinner table,” Capello recalled. “I told them ‘You guys are on scholarship – you get free room and board.’ I had them in the gym at three or four years old and they grew up in the game of basketball.”

Among his numerous recognitions, Capello was selected district coach of the year 10 times, and was twice named the Rio Grande Valley Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the sports halls of fame for both Barbers Hill High School and Rio Grande Valley, and in 2009, he was inducted into the Hidalgo Borderfest “Walk of Fame.”

When Capello reached the 800-victory milestone in February 2003, he was recognized by now-UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt, by a resolution from the United States House of Representatives, and by resolutions from both the United States Senate and the State of Texas House of Representatives.

However, perhaps the most meaningful recognition occurred on May 14, 2005, when the Edcouch-Elsa High School gymnasium was renamed “Robert M. Capello Sr. Gymnasium.”

“Really, I’m honored by that, but I think the credit goes to the school, the superintendents, the principals and the parents for what they did,” Capello said. “The kids were the ones who went out and won games – I was only the bus driver.“

Although not currently coaching, Capello teaches at the Edcouch-Elsa High School Grades 9-10 Building. Interestingly, in a high school in which 99.6 percent of its student body is Hispanic, Capello teaches Spanish to Hispanic students who don’t speak the language.

“Many of the kids here grow up speaking English and are never introduced to Spanish,” Capello noted. “I teach Spanish to about 150 kids a day. Being so close to the border, if you can be bilingual, you certainly have an advantage.

While the energetic 74-year-old Capello can look back on his career with great pride, he is not quite ready to retire.

The banner depicting the dedication of Robert M. Capello Sr. Gymnasium

“One of my brothers is an orthopedic surgeon and another is a pharmacist, so I could have followed their career paths,” Capello said. “However, if I had it to do over again, without question I’d still pursue teaching and coaching. My first year, I made $2,400 and couldn’t believe they were actually paying me to do what I love.

“Teaching and coaching are the same thing – the only thing different is the setting. Both are just engaging kids and teaching them the fundamentals. I remember John Wooden – who used to teach English – said ‘teachers are forever.’”