He ranks No. 2 all-time among San Antonio-area boys basketball coaches for career victories.
SAN ANTONIO — Rudy Bernal, who coached Lanier to the UIL boys basketball state tournament twice before guiding Antonian to two TAPPS state championships, has retired.
One of the most successful high school coaches in San Antonio history, Bernal went 868-505 in a head-coaching career that spanned more than 40 seasons.
He ranks No. 2 among San Antonio-area boys basketball coaches in career victories. Former Alamo Heights coach Charlie Boggess, who had a short stint at Antonian after leaving the Mules, is No. 1 with 915 wins.
Bernal was on the bench one more time Sunday night, coaching Team Blue in the Class 6A San Antonio Sports All-Star game at the Northside Sports Gym.
Bernal, who turned 70 on Feb. 13, compiled a 567-442 record in 31 seasons at Lanier and was 301-63 in nine and a half seasons at Antonian.
“It’s been extremely satisfying, rewarding,” Bernal said Sunday. “I’ve been blessed. All those words describe how I feel. I’m very grateful to my players and all my assistant coaches who have been with me all these years.”
Herb Jackson, who has been on Bernal’s staff for the past five seasons and was formerly head coach at Burbank, is expected to be the front-runner to succeed Bernal.
“Herb is going to get a shot at it, and I hope he gets the job,” Bernal said. “He deserves it. He’s a great man.”
Bernal was honored at a retirement dinner Saturday night at a local restaurant, where nearly 30 current or former coaches, former teammates, classmates and friends gathered to laud his long career.
Former San Antonio ISD coaches Wayne Dickey and Art Gonzales, who battled Bernal’s Lanier teams for years, and current Lanier coach Joseph Martinez, who played for Bernal, were among those who attended.
Bernal said he started the 2024-25 season knowing that he would retire after Antonian’s last game this year.
“I thought a lot about my dad,” Bernal said; “He was sick for 13 years before he died, and he didn’t get to enjoy retirement, so I wanted to make sure that the time I have left, I want to be able to enjoy it.
“I think I owe that to Karen (his wife). She’s supported me in this journey for a long time. Those were the major factors in my decisions to retire. I know that I’ll miss coaching a little bit, but I’m happy with my decision.”
Rudy and Karen Bernal have been married for 46 years and have two daughters, Alexa and Katie.
Bernal retired from public education after the 2013-14 school, then joined Boggess’ staff as an assistant coach at Antonian before the 2014-15 season. Bernal became the Apaches’ interim coach after Boggess resigned in December 2015 and was promoted to head coach the following season.
It didn’t take long for Bernal to build a powerhouse at Antonian, which competes in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. The Apaches won Class 6A state titles in 2019 and 2021, reached the state final once and lost in the state semifinals three times.
A 1979 UTSA graduate, Bernal started his career with a two-year stint at Antonian.
“It’s been an awesome opportunity to finish my career where it began, Antonian,” Bernal said. “I’ve had some great players and some awesome parents over my time at ACP (Antonian College Preparatory).”
Bernal’s teams at Lanier and Antonian reflected his passion for basketball and his competitive ferocity.
“Discipline was a part of it and work ethic was extremely important to me,” he said. “So was dedication and teamwork. All those things were intertwined.”
Bernal’s success at Lanier, highlighted by its state-tournament appearances in 2000 and 2001, rekindled memories of Lanier’s glory days under legendary coach Nemo Herrera in the 1930s and ’40s. Lanier reached the state tournament six times in 15 years with Herrera as head coach.
Herrera led the Voks to 1A state championships in 1943 and 1945, giving its predominantly Hispanic community something to cheer about during the dark days of World War II.
Ramiro Bernal, Rudy’s late father, was a senior starter on the 1942-43 team that won Lanier’s first state title. Just months later, Bernal was in the Army fighting against Hitler’s killing machine in Europe. An uncle, Joe Bernal, also played for the Voks’ 1943-44 team as a senior.
Born and raised in San Antonio, Bernal graduated from Lee in 1973. But much of his heart always will be with Lanier, where Herrera’s great teams continue to cast a long shadow over the Voks’ athletic program.
Large team photos of the 1943 and 1945 state champions hang on a wall in the Lanier Alumni Center, Lanier’s home gym. A plaque honoring Herrera, who died in 1984, is mounted on a wall near the entrance of the facility.
Bernal was in his second full season as an assistant basketball coach at South San West Campus in 1983, when Cougars head football coach Kirk Cameron was hired for the same position at Lanier.
“Coach Cameron knew I was interested in being a head basketball coach,” Bernal said. “When the opportunity came, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. When Coach Cameron asked me if I was interested in going to Lanier with him, it was a no-brainer.”
Bernal cemented his legacy at Lanier when he led the Voks to their back-to-back appearances at the 4A state tournament. Lanier reached the title game in 2001, beating a Dallas Lincoln team that had future NBA star Chris Bosh at center in the semifinals.
The Voks lost in the final to Beaumont Ozen, which was led by center Kendrick Perkins, who went on win an NBA title with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Lanier fell to Denton Ryan in the 2000 state semifinals.
With the exception of 6-foot-7 post Rey Castillo in the early 1990s, Bernal’s teams never had much height. But they were known for their gritty play, hard-nosed defense and disciplined offense. Lanier made the playoffs 15 times under Bernal, including 12 of his last 15 seasons. His last four Voks teams finished 25-12, 29-7, 29-6 and 24-8.
“It’s definitely been a great ride,” Bernal said.