Bernalillo, New Mexico- New Mexico is a big state, and there are a ton of coaches doing phenomenal things. At CPS, we want to highlight a coach each week to showcase some of the great things happening, spotlighting people who might go under the radar.

Next, we have Bernalillo’s Jarmaine McChriston who is the defensive coordinator for the Spartans football team, and the head coach for the powerlifting team. Here are the questions we asked him.

Today’s article is brought to you by Transcend, the official gym of CPS. Thanks to Transcend, CPS has the resources to pay our writers, expand our coverage, and continue highlighting New Mexico athletes. If you are not familiar with Transcend, here’s the scoop: At Transcend, we help athletes maximize their speed and performance through structured, data-driven training. As New Mexico’s Premier speed training facility, our approach pairs precision technology with expert coaching to produce reliable, measurable gains. Join a training environment where speed is the culture and performance is the outcome. Please reach out to Transcend to take your game to the next level. You can find Transcend on IG: transcend_nm

Q: Could I get your first and last name, your role, and the team that you coach for?  

A: Jarmaine McChriston, I coach for Bernalillo high school.

Q: Did you compete in any sports in high school? If so, what was your experience? If not, what is the background in the sports?

A:I played football, wrestled, and track in high school.

Q: Can you walk us through your coaching career? Any favorite memories that stick out?

A: I coached a flag team for a bit and then got the opportunity to coach linebackers for Bernalillo in 2015. The rest is history.

Q: What is your philosophy or just some coaching tenets that you live by?

A: If you work hard enough, and put your mind to it, anything is possible. The only thing that stops us from greatness is us.

Q: Bernalillo just sent four athletes to compete in college. What do you have to say about the talent over there? 

A:  Well, we are a small school. So, most people assume we don’t have a ton of talent. We literally send kids from various sports each year to compete at the next level. 

Q: If you formed a dodgeball team (five people) with any Bernalillo staff members or student athletes, who would you choose? 

A: Flavio Lopez, John Cobos, Kevin Joe, and Blake Miller.

Q: Any team traditions or any pre-meet rituals you have?

A:  I have to walk the field before every game. Say my prayers and get my mind right before the game.

Q: Besides coaching, what are some things you enjoy?

A: Fishing.

Q: Was there a coach that was influential in your life? 

A:  Maybe Justin Whitish.

Q: What can we be expecting from the Spartans in 2026-27? In all sports that you coach.

A: Fireworks!

Q: Finally, what has sports meant in your life, and what are you hoping to pass down to the athletes?

A: Football saved my life on several occasions. This is why I coached, and give back. I honestly feel like I’m on borrowed time because I shouldn’t be here and yet, I am. 

Q: Anything else you’d like to share?

A: I appreciate you and your platform. What you do for the community and these kids is amazing. Especially for Bernalillo. Folks have never really come down and showed interest in the program or the school because of where we are.