Omar Moreno is a football coach and health teacher at campus. He grew up in Mathis, graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and began teaching in 2009. Wingspan recently interviewed him about this school year so far.

Wingspan: What do you enjoy about coaching football and teaching health? 

Moreno: “I guess the biggest thing is getting to meet new people every year, honestly, whether it’s coaching or teaching. We get a new group of students every year and it’s nice just to see different faces and get to know them and try and make an impact on their lives.”

Wingspan: What made you want to come on campus? 

Moreno: “Well, the biggest thing for me is how highly academic the campus is. I’m a dad. I have two small kids. I have an 11-year-old and a 10-year-old and I was looking for the right place for them to grow up and learn and Liberty is just somewhere that I’ve always admired school wise. So, we moved up here.”

Wingspan: Can you describe a typical day in your life as a teacher? 

Moreno: “I just think a typical day is just coming to work with a positive attitude. I think the students really feed off of you. If you’re in a bad mood, then it’s going to kind of ruin their day. So I try to greet them at the door every day with at least a fist bump or a good morning and people passing by. I think that goes a long way with the environment of where they’re going. And then just kind of getting to know everybody when you’re in class. I think that’s big. I think students want to be known and who they are, and it’s important to them. And I try to do that every day.”

Wingspan: What is the most challenging and favorite part about teaching and coaching?

Moreno: “The most challenging part would probably be understanding the new era of students. As far as coaching goes, they maybe don’t look at it the way we did when we were younger. It was kind of life for me from a small town. If I played football, that was everything. When you’re in a big city like Frisco or Dallas, it might be a little different. You have a lot of different priorities. That would be the biggest challenge. The biggest reward is just them. I think seeing them succeed is big for me. In class, whether it’s taking a test or someone can make an A, they’re pretty excited about it. And whether we’re winning a football game or winning a track meet, just seeing their faces and the excitement that all the hard work they put in went to something.”

Wingspan: What are you looking forward to this school year? 

Moreno: “This school year, I’m just really looking forward to enjoying teaching for a while. I’ve been to a couple of places that weren’t necessarily the greatest in the world. This year has been amazing. It’s only been a few weeks. So just enjoying my life, enjoying class, enjoying the students here and the campus. It’s a lot of family feel as far as the staff goes. I really like it.”