Three men connected to McAllen ISD have been inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
They are Patrick Arney, McAllen High Girls Soccer Coach; Celso Gonzales, McAllen Memorial High Golf Coach; and Toby Nivens who graduated from McAllen High in 1985 and played professional baseball.
They joined five others who were enshrined among the Valley’s all-time greatest sports figures at an induction ceremony held June 20 at Mission Event Center.
Arney, who just completed his 30th season as head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, is the winningest coach in the RGV’s history and may possibly be the winningest coach in state history with 643 wins. Overall, his teams are 643-146-32, making his winning percentage a staggering .803.
Arney cites a “love of the game” and “a passion for the game bordering on obsession” for leading him into a life of coaching what many call the beautiful game.
“I wanted to continue to be around the game and players,” Arney said. “Then (it was) the coaching aspect of teaching skills and tactical awareness. I love learning about the game …. new ways of teaching the game. Seeing the faces of players succeeding where they didn't think it was possible. Or, the look of dismay on the teams/players who didn't think we could beat them - nothing better than that! Those things keep me going.”
The Lady Bulldogs have an impressive CV: They have never missed the playoffs in 30 seasons. They have finished first or second 29 times (third the other time). Arney’s teams have amassed 19 district titles and advanced to the Regional Tournament (State Sweet 16) 13 times including six consecutive years (2021-26). Their playoff record is 66-30, an average of 2.2 playoff wins per season. In 2018, he guided the Lady Bulldogs to the state semifinals, the furthest any Valley girls team has ever gone.
Gonzales went to a small school in Knox City, Texas.
“As a kid growing up in a small town, we played nearly every sport, all year round,” Gonzales said. “We had to. I only had 26 kids in my graduating class. My dad was a coach at Benavides High School in the years following World War II. He coached baseball and tennis. Coaching was a natural step for me. We’re a sports family.”
Now, with more than 35 years of coaching under his belt, Gonzales has a massive legacy to be proud of. Coaching boys and girls golf at McAllen Memorial High, he has guided his players to win 21 district championships (through 2026), two Regional titles and 11 state appearances (including a fourth-place finish for the Mustang boys in 2026). Eleven of his former players have competed in golf at the collegiate level.
In addition, Gonzales has served 38 years as a basketball official and, for 30 years, fans have heard his voice over the public address system at McAllen ISD home football games.
“I’ve been coaching in McAllen since the late ’80s,” he recalled. “Many of the men and women who are in the Hall of Fame were my mentors, friends, and colleagues. Joining them with this induction is a huge honor. I’m so grateful.”
Nivens, following a standout career at McAllen High School and San Jacinto North Junior College, spent six years in professional baseball with the Minnesota Twins, New York Mets and Texas Rangers organizations.
The California Angels drafted him out of high school in 1985 (he won 42 games as a Bulldog and was once ranked No. 12 in the country for high school baseball players by Baseball America) but he opted for San Jacinto where he continued to improve and helped his team win the 1986 NJCAA World Series.
“I was a high school All-State and All-American and was on the San Jacinto North Junior College World Series team in 1986 with a record of 14-4,” Nivens wrote in an email. “My time at McAllen High School went by so fast, but the time I spent in the Valley, particularly playing baseball with my friends and teammates was a very special time.”
His record caught the attention of the Twins who drafted Nivens first overall in the 1986 MLB January Draft (Secondary Phase) but injuries and surgeries would plague him in pro ball.
“My third year with the Mets, I was with the Triple A team during spring training but was moved down to Double A the last day before we broke camp,” Nivens recalled. “I won six games in a row at one point during that season but was not called up. I did, however play for the Texas Rangers during the strike of 1995 and played in several spring training games in Florida and one at the, then new, Ball Park in Arlington for the Rangers.”
The other inductees on June 20 included Robert Mangum of Edinburg (football player), Anyssa Olivarez Woods of Mission (track & field competitor), Pablo Almaguer of Weslaco (track & field competitor and coach), Dr. Sonia Trevino of Mission (volleyball player) and Joe Pena of Brownsville (football coach). Mangum and Pena were inducted posthumously.
In addition to the individuals, the Hall of Fame recognized multiple teams for its Hall of Honor; these included the 1986 Mercedes High baseball team, 1991 Mission High girls cross country, 1991 La Villa girls cross country, 1978 and 1979 Brownsville Pace girls cross country plus the 1977, 1982 and 1985 Brownsville Pace boys cross country teams.
The 1991 Mission and La Villa teams each won a state championship in Class 5A and 2A, respectively. The 1985 Pace boys also won a state title. The other recognized teams finished either second or third at the state level.
This year’s class brought the Hall of Fame’s total membership to 312. Inductees are selected by a vote from the RGVSHOF Board of Directors and past Hall of Fame inductees.
Founded in 1985, the RGV Sports Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization, the mission of which is to showcase men and women who have brought honor and recognition to the Rio Grande Valley through their participation in sports as an athlete, coach, official, trainer, journalist or other sports-related position.
PHOTO CAPTION
From left to right are Toby Nivens (McAllen High Class of 1985, played pro baseball), Celso Gonzales (McAllen Memorial High Golf Coach), Patrick Arney (McAllen High Girls Soccer Coach) and Brian McClenny (McAllen ISD Athletic Director). They are posing together at the 38th annual Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony held June 20 at Mission Event Center. Nivens, Gonzales and Arney joined five others in the Induction Class of 2026.