Why Steven Pinchback chose San Marcos over DeSoto

San Marcos head coach Steven Pinchback likely had the inside track on his dream job.

DeSoto would be a dream job for most high school basketball coaches. The school has won three state titles in the top UIL class over the last two decades. Pinchback was an assistant coach with the Eagles during their most recent championship run in 2016.

So when longtime DeSoto head coach Chris Dyer announced his retirement on April 18, Pinchback knew he had to at least throw his hat in the ring. He was one of 72 coaches who applied for the opening.

The Dallas Morning News reported Monday afternoon that Pinchback had been selected as a finalist for the position, along with former University of Texas at Austin assistant coach Robert Wright and that a recommendation would be made by the DeSoto ISD school board during their virtual meeting that evening. However, following an executive session that lasted four hours, the school board concluded the meeting at 1:11 a.m. on Tuesday with no mention of the head coaching vacancy.

Pinchback withdrew his name from consideration on Tuesday, choosing instead to remain with San Marcos. 

The Daily Record spoke with Pinchback over the phone on Wednesday to discuss his decision:

Daily Record (DR): A lot of coaches obviously wanted this job, what made you decide to pull out of it?

Steven Pinchback (SP): “The thing about it, I went down there and I did the best that I could do. And it's a dream job and you have the opportunity to do this and that. I just felt that San Marcos is where I'm supposed to be. You know, I possibly was the candidate for the job. And in my heart, I knew it was my job. But this place, this community, it's headed somewhere great and I wanted to be a part of that instead of having any regrets. Because the love and the togetherness that they've shown me here is just, it's really overwhelming. I just felt that it's San Marcos' time and it's our time to be together and to build something that everyone will be proud of. And we're headed that way and we're going to continue to grow that way. 

“And, you know, my family, we talked about it and this is our home and this is where we wanted to be. And so I appreciate DeSoto, it was great to be a finalist and to be the coach. I got all that out of my system, though, because we're going to be San Marcos. So San Marcos is going to be mentioned with some of those great teams soon. So I believe that in the leadership that we have and the principal (Denisha Presley) believing in me the way she does, you just can't get over that feeling because it's true and you're not worrying. I just didn't know how much DeSoto really needed me at this moment. I just felt it's better to be at a place which you loves and where you're loved.”

DR: Why do you feel like San Marcos needed you more than DeSoto did?

SP: “I just think the kids need me. Like, we're changing the culture and they have hope that they can attain success that just hasn't ever been attained here. And I told them when I came, I could show them the way, they just have to follow and we'll do it together. But it's got to be true. You have to love each other and you gotta care for each other. And that bond that I had in this short amount of time, I just knew that God was telling me to go over here and stay here. I felt it. And so when I felt that in my spirit, I had to do what I had to do with that. But I appreciate DeSoto for everything.”

DR: When did you know what your decision was going to be?

SP: “When I was gassing up to come back home over here, that's when I felt it. And once it hit my heart, then I knew what the right decision was. Like I had been talking kind of throughout the day, just thinking and talking out loud and visiting with people that I trusted and that were going to tell me the truth, whether I wanted to hear it or not. And so, when you have that circle and you have people that love you and want to do what's best, you're going to have different opinions. But as long as you know in your heart, and sometimes that's what you have to do, just follow it.”

DR: What’s next for you and your team?

SP: “We talked this morning. I told them that I -- you know, I apologized to them for that. That's a part of the business. But the love that I had, it showed them how much they mean to me if I'm going to walk away from something that I've been chasing pretty much my whole career, to be honest with you. I mean, man, I would be I'd be excited. I'd be like, ‘This dude really does love us.’ So I hope that's how they feel. I felt that, I felt the love. I talked to some of them last night. This thing that happened is going to propel the whole program and San Marcos in the community and for every sport, man. When you have guys that are mentioned -- or ladies -- for a top job and they decide to stay in San Marcos -- because that's not how it normally works, I promise you. In my short amount of time here, I'm figuring things out around here. It's going to set the tone because I believe in San Marcos.

“I probably was the next coach at DeSoto, but I believe in San Marcos. So this is going to be the turning point that's going to take us to some levels that they've never seen. I'm not going to say I haven't seen because I want to give them that feeling. I want them to play in the last game of the year for Texas high school basketball and I want other sports to have success. If I didn't love San Marcos, I wouldn't have done what I did. I would have took a chance and then let the chips fall. But they were worth it, so I came back home. And this is home.”