Students remember Irvin’s Coach Duran

Students and staff at Irvin High School have told ABC-7 there will be a big hole in the school, following Coach Archie Duran’s death Saturday night.

“He cared about everybody, he always put everybody before him, he always made everybody believe in their dreams, even though we didn’t see it that way, as sometimes life in high school is hard, and he always made us believe like everything was possible,” said Jacqueline Valenzuela, a former student and athlete of Duran’s.

ABC-7 spoke with the Irvin principal off camera, she referred to Coached Duran as “the epitome of a coach” and said he loved his students so much he even made significant personal sacrifices to be with his girls at regionals in Lubbock.

“Just, rather than just a teacher and a coach, as a person, you know? Someone I could look up to, someone I could be friends with, I could go to and talk about my problems, you know someone special in my heart,” Valenzuela said.

One student who spoke with ABC-7 said Irvin’s track will feel empty without Coach Archie Duran.