Boys basketball: Robertson hires Pecos’ Bustos as new head coach

James Barron | The New Mexican

5/21/2008 - 5/22/08

David Bustos was ready to coach again in Las Vegas, N.M., and Las Vegas Robertson obliged Wednesday.

Bustos, the former West Las Vegas head boys basketball coach who had been at Pecos the last two years, was hired to take over the Cardinals' boys basketball program.

He replaces Doug Cavanaugh, who lasted one season and went 9-18 with a spot in the Class AAA State Tournament.

He resigned in April to assume assistant coaching duties with the New Mexico Highlands University football program.

Bustos was one of three finalists interviewed, along with former West Las Vegas assistant coach Leroy Barela and Ernie Padilla, who coached in California and currently resides in
Las Vegas.

Bustos was 33-22 in two seasons at Pecos and led the Panthers to the Class AA quarterfinals in 2007.

The Cardinals' first-round exit in the playoffs in March didn't sit well with Robertson athletic director Mike Yara, not after the team reached the state semifinals in 2007. Yara said he knew the program was in a rebuilding stage, but felt it did not reach its full potential in 2007-08.

"We definitely expected for our program to be more competitive than it was," Yara said. "Even though we lost seven seniors, we saw some potential there."

Bustos, who built West Las Vegas into one of the top teams in the state earlier this decade, might be the elixir to turn potential into results.

"I don't think people realize it, but West Las Vegas was 3-20 in my first year," said Bustos, who coached at the school from 1998-2006. "We went from the bottom and created a pretty competitive program."

West Las Vegas, which is going through its own head boys basketball coach search, reached the District 2AAA championship three times and won it in 2004 under Bustos. He admitted he considered applying for his old job, but felt the school district had waited too long to hire a coach and get the summer program underway.

West Las Vegas Public Schools superintendent Jim Abreu said the school is still in the interview process but hoped to have a coach hired by the end of the month.