Coach Pineda: Teacher, Coach & Mentor

Nothing to Lose & Everything to Gain // Winning the 4A boys wrestling title, the first in Coronado’s history, the team has moved a division up to 5A. In recognition of his work on the team, head Coach Irais Pineda has been awarded the 2026 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada Boys Wrestling Coach of the Year. (Photo courtesy of Irais Pineda).

Coronado High School is incredibly lucky to have a great system of teachers and coaches. The Coronado wrestling team is truly fortunate to have an outstanding coach, Irais Pineda, who not only took on the challenge of coaching, but also led the wrestling team to its first state championship title. The state of Nevada has awarded him the title of 2026 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada Boys Wrestling Coach of the Year.

Winning a state championship takes a lot of preparation months in advance, and requires hours of practice, pep-talks and endurance. Fortunately, Coronado’s wrestling program had all three. However, the progress to get there during this season was a journey in itself.

“No one anticipated us being in contention for the state title,” Coach Pineda explains. “We were 7-2 in our league duals and always did okay in tournaments, but those tournaments were always against opponents that were out of state or in 5A. We always scrapped with much tougher opponents, which helped us roll into state confident and stronger than most teams.” 

Despite the odds, Coronado’s wrestling team rose to the challenge. With hard work and training, Coach Pineda ensured that his team, regardless of who their competition was, would be prepared and enjoy the competition.

“I prepared them hard going into regionals, lots of hard conditioning, live wrestling with teammates, having joint practices with a 5A team, and having them focus on doing their best for themselves,” Pineda explains. “Even though we are a team and work together to prepare one another, this sport is an individual sport where the result of the match is 100% on the athlete. As we got into the week of state, we took it much lighter, focused on weight management, drilling moves to polish everything up and plenty of rest.”

Needless to say, the following victory of Coronado’s state wrestling match on February 21st, was a major milestone for Coach Pineda as well as the team altogether. It not only marked a point of success, but highlighted a moment for the team that had been a product for the vast amount of effort and work they had been putting into their team the entire year.

“This season was different from the rest because we had nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Pineda says. “We finished 5th place at state last year and lost over half of our varsity team. We were one of the younger teams in 4A, so we had surprised a lot of opponents that we did not see throughout the season.The coaches and I told the team all week, do your part and help the team rack up points, which they did. We asked each wrestler for at least 2 wins and most met or passed that goal, helping us ultimately win the state championship.”

To recognize his achievements and dedication to high school wrestling, Coach Pineda has been named the 2026 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada Boys Wrestling Coach of the Year. This is a huge individual accomplishment, one that is deeply personal and fulfilling.

“It was an incredibly humbling moment. I pour so much time, energy, and emotion into my wrestlers,” Coach Pineda said. “I am always looking for ways to improve, talking to other coaches, trying to find ways to give my athletes more opportunities. Seeing that all my hard work earned me coach of the year was so amazing. I was awestruck at first, thinking, why was I picked? There are so many other coaches that are doing great things, but getting the support and kudos from coaches all around the city (and country), was reaffirming that what I am doing is paying off. It helped me see that I was meant to be here, to start an incredible program that has nothing but time to grow.” 

Before getting to Coach Pineda’s current level and his success, it is equally important to understand that his origins were important to his progress. In his own high school years, Pineda played varsity wrestling, football and baseball. He started at Bonanza High School as an assistant coach for their wrestling team after a fellow coworker needed help getting the program started.

“While I want us to be successful on the mat, my ultimate goal is for my athletes to be successful in life. In the classroom, at home, with their peers, and on the mat,” Pineda adds. “II have very high expectations for my athletes to ensure they are being the best possible versions of themselves. Many see that I do these things for them and come to me when they are struggling with anything, life, school, wrestling, etc. I define myself as the coach that cares enough to push you hard when you need it, while also being the coach you can come to when you're struggling,” Coach Pineda mentions.

Coach Pineda, defined as a coach that not only pushes his athletes hard for motivation, but also one that helps them in times of need, is incredibly proud of all of his athletes. Due to these accomplishments, the wrestling team is now evolving—changing from division to 4A to division 5A in the next upcoming season. 

“While we have been on the top side of 4A for the last three years I have been here, the gap between 4A and 5A is huge,” Pineda says. “While I have some wrestlers that perform well against 5A wrestlers, I still think we have to grow as a whole program to be able to compete and keep up with 5A. We need some athletes that start competing before high school in order for us to be able to hold on our own in 5A.” 

It is clear that the fight is not over yet, as next year, new athletes and JV wrestlers will be competing in the 5A division as well, and the triumph is seized. However, it is clear that the work the athletes and Coach Pineda alike are putting into the team now, through perseverance, will be ready to compete at the 5A level. With their level of effort, there is no doubt that they will not only survive, but also thrive at this new level and division. 

“My boys are on the ‘Run It Back’ tour,” Pineda says. “We are losing two huge pieces in Evan Paszek and Vaughn Geisendorf, but the majority of our team will be back, better and more determined than ever. Hopefully we can get some JV kids to step up and some new athletes to come in and help us reload for the next season and the years to come. If our wrestlers compete and push as hard as they did this year, I can see us winning back-to-back titles.”

Coach Pineda is a humble and compassionate coach who cares for all of his athletes. He trains and pushes them to be the best they can—and as a result, the boys have won their first state title and are moving up divisions despite the struggles. His achievements for Coronado, and the wrestling team as a whole, have not gone unnoticed. There’s so much more to come for Coronado’s wrestling program, including larger and better tournaments, bigger challenges with bigger triumphs, and a coach who is ready and willing to lead that program with motivation and effort.