CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Banquete Baseball is playing Thursday night’s game without its head coach, as longtime Bulldogs skipper Rusty Miller has been placed on administrative leave.
Neither the district nor Miller would give a statement on the matter or confirm the reasoning for the leave -- the district just saying it doesn’t discuss personnel issues.
Miller has been one of the more successful coaches in the Coastal Bend in his last 10 years as Banquete's head coach, having reached the playoffs every season of his tenure. He even led the Bulldogs to their only state-tournament appearance in 2016.
Miller also coaches the Banquete Junior High School baseball team and some of his players spoke with 3NEWS about not having their coach. We chose to keep their identities anonymous.
"He's kind of like the light of Banquete," a Banquete Junior High School baseball player said.
Miller has been in his role for at least 10 years. The team reached the playoffs every year since he took over and the Bulldogs made the state tournament in 2016. One of his junior high players said Miller encouraged many kids to come to practice and work hard.
"He wants to build us up to that level and I just think that he is an amazing coach and what inspired me is him just being in Banquete," he said.
Another one of Miller's junior high players said Miller is a great coach who helped him through a lot. He said it has been a different atmosphere around the team without Miller there.
"The energy's been, just been low ever since he's been suspended," the baseball player said.
The player talked about how close his relationship to Miller is.
"He's like a second father to me, really important to me," he said. "Just, you know, I miss him and I really wish he can come back pretty soon."
Another junior high player described Rusty as more than a coach to his players and someone to talk to when you need it.
"He's everything to us. I would be great to have him back," the player said. "We miss him very much."
That player said it is a challenge to play without Miller there.
"We have somebody to depend on during the games and at practice," he said. "Now, it's hard to have our, I mean, he's our head coach so it's going to be hard."
Banquete is in the midst of another potential playoff appearance, but the Bulldogs only have a one-game lead over Hebbronville, with two to go, including Thursday night’s game against Santa Gertrudis.
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