MacArthur High Baseball Coach Ernest Gonzales Earns 400th Career Victory

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Aldine ISD’s Athletic Department recently held a ceremony celebrating MacArthur High baseball coach Ernest Gonzales. Gonzales earned his 400th career win at MacArthur on Feb. 24 with a 2-0 win over Cy-Park. Pictured are (l-r): MacArthur High head football coach and campus athletic coordinator Wayne Crawford, Director of Athletic Services Sandra Mader, Aldine ISD Board Member Connie Esparza, Louisa Gonzales, Ernest Gonzales, Aldine ISD Board Member Rose Avalos, MacArthur High School Principal Shauna Showers and pictured in the back row is Aldine ISD Board Member Steve Mead.

It all started with an 8-7 win over then Jeff Davis High School (now Northside High School), and 37 years later, MacArthur High School’s head baseball coach notched his 400^th career victory with a 2-0 win over Cy-Park on Feb. 24.

Before a recent District 14-6A game against Westfield, the Aldine ISD Athletic Department recognized Gonzales’ accomplishment with a ceremony attended by Aldine ISD Board Members Rose Avalos, Connie Esparza, and Steve Mead, along with Director of Athletic Services Sandra Mader, MacArthur High Principal Shauna Showers, head football coach, and campus athletic coordinator Wayne Crawford and members of Gonzales’ family. Gonzales was presented with a plaque to honor his accomplishment.

Gonzales remembers his first win like it was yesterday.
“Yes, it was my first year as Terry High School head coach. We defeated Jeff Davis, 8-7,” he said. “I still have the ball with all the player’s signatures.”

Gonzales has 416 overall victories, with 405 coming at MacArthur, where he has served as the Generals’ head coach for the last 31 years.

He admitted he didn’t think much about winning No. 400 until his family made him realize it was a big deal.

“At first, I didn’t believe it was significant until my wife, children, especially my sons, and grandchildren were very excited about it,” he said. “We discussed it around the dinner table and at every family gathering. They were full of joy and happiness. It made me realize the people I had spent so much time away from all these years because of coaching were very happy and proud of me. Several of my fellow coaches, athletic directors, administrators, and school board members congratulated me and told me it was well deserved. It made me realize it was a major accomplishment and very significant.”

Gonzales began his coaching career in 1980 in Spring Branch and moved to Terry High School in 1986. In 1992, former Aldine Athletic Director Joe Young offered Gonzales the head coaching job at MacArthur, and the rest is history.

Gonzales is married to former Aldine ISD employee Louisa, his high school sweetheart. They have been married for 52 years and have three children, Kelli, Ernie, and Eric (MacArthur Class of 1998). All are college graduates, and each has a master’s degree. Ernie and Louisa also have four grandchildren, Julianne, 13; Joseph, 10; Harlow, 10; and Oliva, 8.

Gonzales said he does not plan on slowing down anytime soon.

“I have been head coach at MacArthur for 31 years, and I am looking forward to 32,” he said. “I have been teaching for 43 years. It has never sounded like a long time until Channel 2 did a story about it, and I realized I’ve been doing this for a long time.”

Now that he has 400 wins, why not go for 500?