Smith hired as football coach

Socorro High School has its new head football coach.

Derek Smith, who was an assistant coach at Gadsden High School last season, focusing on tight ends and running backs, accepted the position after interviewing last week, Superintendent Joyce Gormley said.

Smith was hired from a pool of two candidates after the initial leading prospect rejected the school district’s offer.

Smith is a substitute teacher and plans to start in that position in the district as soon as he clears his security check, Gormley said. And she’s hopeful a full-time position on campus can be found.

“It would be great that we could hire him on a full-time basis so he can be a mentor and a leader here,” she said.

Longtime Warriors coach Damien Ocampo resigned Feb. 17. During two different stints as coach, Ocampo served for 12 years, twice leading the Warriors to state championships games.

Ocampo compiled a 114-40 record as the team’s coach and his career included seven district championships.

The Warriors lost the 2009 title game to Lovington and came up short in 2019 to Hope Christian. Socorro was 8-3 last season, losing to New Mexico Military Institute in the quarterfinals of the 3A playoffs.