New Mexico Volleyball Coach Inducted into NFHS Hall of Fame
On Monday, New Mexico’s longtime volleyball coach Flo Valdez was officially inducted into the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Valdez and the Class of 2026 was honored at the 43ndinduction ceremony of the National High School Hall of Fame, which was held at the 107th NFHS Summer Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT.
Valdez is one of 12 individuals selected for induction into the 2026 Class of the National High School Hall of Fame.
“Flo Valdez’s impact reaches far beyond her accomplishments,” said NMAA Executive Director Dusty Young. “Her dedication to creating opportunities for young women, advancing education-based athletics, and leading at both the state and national levels has left a lasting legacy.”
A proud graduate of Roswell High School, Flo Valdez has more than 1,000 victories on her volleyball coaching career in New Mexico and Texas. Over her 44-year career, she guided her teams to three New Mexico State Championships (1976, 1977, 1993) and four State Runner-Up finishes (1978, 1983, 1991, 1992). Her programs also captured 14 District Championships. Her honors include National Athletic Coaches Association Regional Volleyball Coach of the Year (1987, 1994), New Mexico High School Coaches Association Volleyball Coach of the Year (1987, 1993), and Albuquerque Journal Volleyball Coach of the Year (1991). She became the first woman ever inducted into the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor. She also has been inducted into the Texas Girls Coaches Hall of Fame, the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame and the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.
Flo also achieved remarkable success in track and field, winning 10 District Championships and a State Championship in 1989 (with 4 state runner-up finishes). She established girls’ athletic programs in volleyball, basketball, softball, badminton, and track and field at Tatum High School in the late 1960s, later expanding those opportunities through pilot programs at Hobbs High School in the 1970s. She even guided the Hobbs girls’ gymnastics team to a third-place finish at the State Championships. As a basketball coach at Roswell High School, she racked up over 250 wins, a pair of District Championships and seven trips to the State Basketball Championships.
Hall of Fame press conference
Hall of Fame induction ceremony
