PHARR - The PSJA ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the hiring of former Edinburg High School Head Football Coach JJ Leija to take over the head football coach and athletic coordinator vacancy at PSJA Southwest High School on Monday. 

Leija, is no stranger to the athletic department at PSJA ISD as he had been a longtime coach and coordinator at PSJA North under head coaches Ray Wagner, Orlando Garcia, and Bruce Bush. 

Leija started at PSJA ISD as a junior high football coach and became a varsity assistant under Ray Wagner in 1992. Then worked for Freddy Hernandez at La Joya, Oscar Salinas at Edinburg Economedes and then later joined, now PSJA Athletic Director Orlando Garcia's staff with the Raiders. He later was promoted to defensive coordinator at PSJA North under Bruce Bush upon his return to the RGV in 2008.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to lead the athletic program at PSJA SW, Leija said to KRGV in a statement. "I'm eager to step foot on campus and start working with the Javelinas"

Leija was hired at his alma mater Edinburg High in 2016 and led the Bobcats to a 27-21 record over five seasons which included three playoff appearances and qualifying for another in 2020 that was later refused by Edinburg CISD.

Leija was reassigned at Edinburg CISD in January of 2021 after he was placed on probation by the UIL after an on-field incident by former Bobcat player Emmanuel Duron and an on-field official during a game at the end of the 2020 season. 

After Leija was reassigned from his head football remained at Edinburg CISD as a coordinator on John Campbell's staff at Edinburg Vela.

Leija is considered to be one of the best defensive coaches in the Rio Grande Valley