Spavital sees Texas State's potential, says program will focus on recruiting in SA

Jake Spavital entering first season as Bobcats head coach

SAN ANTONIO – Jake Spavital made the rounds Tuesday at the San Antonio Quarterback Club, shook hands with area coaches and greeted others who were there to watch him speak to those in attendance.

The Texas State head coach may be new to the job, but he knows part of the lifeblood of his success will be made in the San Antonio area.

“We’re going to make a living recruiting the kids in this area,” Spavital said. “The type of player you are going to get here is a very polished product because there are a lot of great coaches, a lot of legendary coaches.”

Spavital took over the Bobcats' program in late November, but he’s no stranger to the area.

He has recruited in South Central Texas for more than a decade, with previous coaching stops at Texas A&M and Houston.

He has seen the area grow and become a bigger player in recruiting. 

“The quality of talent is here and it’s such a short drive to Texas State, that we can find a guy that can help us win games,” said Spavital. “We have to put an emphasis on making sure we hit this area because there is a lot of quality players in this area.”

Keeping the talent in the area is not impossible, but the recruiting scene in San Antonio has become more competitive than ever. 

UTSA has made a mark in the local recruiting landscape and UIW’s recent success has made an impression as well.

Big 12, Southeastern Conference, Conference USA and AAC coaches routinely come to the San Antonio area to pull talent.

Building relationships with coaches and administrators will go a long way to building a foundation for the program.

“(It’s) a pretty awesome opportunity to be representing Texas State, and the relationships I’ve built with these guys over the years is just going to be great moving forward,” Spavital said. 

While Spavital wants to keep an eye on the future, he also knows of the challenge that lies ahead in turning the Texas State program around.

The Bobcats have won only seven games in the previous three seasons. 

After his first spring football at the helm, Spavital feels confident in the direction of the program.

“I’m really pleased with where we’re at as a team,” Spavital said. “We’re only going to go as far as the leadership that we got, but I think we have enough tools where if we play together, we can do something special next year.”


About the Author:

RJ Marquez is the traffic anchor/reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio. He also fills in as a news anchor and has covered stories from breaking news and Fiesta to Spurs championships and high school sports. RJ started at KSAT in 2010. He is proud to serve our viewers and be a part of the culture and community that makes San Antonio great.