Rudy Bernal ’79 celebrates four-decade coaching career rooted in community, perseverance

APRIL 23, 2025 — Rudy Bernal ’79 spent more than 40 seasons shaping high school basketball programs across San Antonio, including three decades at Lanier High School on the city’s historic West Side. During this time, he built programs that nurtured the leadership skills of student-athletes, emphasizing integrity, discipline and community. His coaching career earned hundreds of wins, multiple state tournament appearances and a reputation as one of the city’s most respected educators. Now retired, Bernal is reflecting on the relationships, life lessons and legacy that extend far beyond the court.

A San Antonio native, Bernal originally left the city to pursue a pharmacy degree at the University of Houston. After two years, he realized his true interests were in education and coaching. The decision was inspired in part by memories of his father, who had coached him in youth sports.

Bernal transferred to UTSA, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from the College of Education and Human Development in 1979.

“Coaching is never just about building good athletes. It’s about helping young people become good adults.”

Rudy Bernal, who recently retired, had an astounding 40-year career as a coach and educator in San Antonio.

“The size of UTSA at that time worked in my favor. I was able to build real relationships with my professors and classmates, and that environment gave me the support I needed to finish my degree while living at home, coaching part-time and preparing for a career in education,” Bernal said. “Our athletics director, Rudy Davalos made a lasting impact on me. Looking back, I realize how his mentorship helped shape the direction of my life.”

Bernal’s family has a deep connection to UTSA that spans generations. His wife, Karen, earned a biology and chemistry degree from the university in 1978 and went on to a successful career in quality control and medical imaging. His late uncle, former state senator Joe J. Bernal, also played a key role in UTSA’s history by authoring the bill that established the university in the Texas legislature.

Rudy Bernal's uncle, Joe J. Bernal (left), helped establish UTSA in the 1960s while he was a state senator.

Soon after graduating, the junior Bernal was hired as a full-time teacher and coach at Antonian College Preparatory School, where he coached football, basketball and baseball. He later moved to West Campus High School in South San Antonio, where he served as an assistant coach. In 1983, Bernal accepted the head basketball coaching position at Lanier High School, where he saw an opportunity to both improve the team’s record and shift the culture.

“The basketball team hadn’t had a winning season in over a decade. The kids had gotten to a place where losing didn’t matter anymore,” Bernal said. “There was no urgency, no belief that things could change. I had to help them understand that success starts with mindset. I needed them to see the value of discipline, of working together and of pushing for something greater than themselves.”

That belief, combined with years of mentorship and determination, resulted in a remarkable transformation. During his tenure at Lanier, the team earned 567 wins, 15 playoff appearances and four district titles. In 2000 and 2001, Bernal led the Lanier Voks to back-to-back UIL state tournament appearances, which were the school’s first since the 1940s. The 2001 team secured a semifinal victory over Dallas Lincoln High School, led by future NBA player Chris Bosh.

For Bernal, the wins were only part of the story. Lanier served a student population that faced economic challenges, and Bernal recognized the need to create a strong support system for his players, many of whom lacked consistent resources at home.

“We had five housing projects in our attendance zone,” Bernal said. “Many of our students came from households where parents were absent or working multiple jobs. They needed more than a coach. They needed consistent support and people who truly believed in them.”

As the program grew stronger, so did its impact. Bernal and his assistant coaches became a steady presence in their students’ lives, and over time families and the larger community began to re-engage.

As Bernal reflects on his coaching career, Bernal emphasizes the importance of leading with sincerity and purpose. He believes that coaching—and teaching—should go beyond skill development and focus on helping young people grow into responsible, confident adults.

“Coaching is never just about building good athletes. It’s about helping young people become good adults,” Bernal said. “We talked about integrity, punctuality and doing the right thing. If students know you genuinely care, they’ll listen. And when they believe in themselves, they can go further than they ever thought possible.”

— Jordan Allen