Todd Riccio Says Farewell to Mustang Football

By Eric D.

Todd Riccio has been around the football scene since he was little,his notable time with football has come within his coaching. Riccio has been coaching football for 24 years. Splitting his time between Mountain Range High School and Prairie View High School mainly. Riccio has spent his last 9 recent years coaching at Mountain Range High School. The 2025-2026 Mustangs are now just coming off their first winning season since the 2013-2014 Mustangs. The 2025-2026 Mustangs were led by Riccio throughout the year.

After the 2025-2026 season Riccio has now decided to officially retire from coaching football entirely. This comes after finishing the season with a much wanted winning season. Riccio believed this was a tough decision for himself to make but was needed, Riccio wanted to be able to spend more time with his own kids and be able to attend his own kids' extra curricular activities. Riccio was only able to see 1 and 1/2 games of his daughter's entire softball season, and missed every single middle school basketball game that his son has had.

Now within Riccio's time as a head coach he believed he did achieve his goals from coaching.”For the most part I have.” Riccio expressed. There was one important goal that he wanted the team and him to accomplish is to win a league title. In his last season coaching he was close to getting that goal accomplished but the team fell short of that league title placing 3rd in the league. Riccio was able to accomplish growing and helping student athletes.”Growing great student athletes,having them fulfill their potential,reach their goals and have student athletes have a safe,welcoming and inclusive environment to come to where they feel supported and wanted” Riccio insisted

With Riccio's retirement he is leaving his extended family of his players and coaches he states. “ I had to leave behind the student athletes and be there for them as their coach and other coaches as well. “ With Riccio's leaving his extended family he wanted his players to learn from his coaching more than about football. “To be the best people they can be, to give their best effort in everything and anything they do in life and be good humans and to know it is okay to put your best foot forward and if your come up short, get back on the horse and keep going because life will always give you ups and downs and it is how you handle those up and downs”

Senior Captain Athlete Vinny D. has been with the team for 4 years and Riccio has taught him more than just being a football player.”He taught me to become a good man and have great determination,dedication, sportsmanship, and overall grit” Vinny states. Overall Vinny says Riccio is an overall good head coach,knows how to coach, and is an overall good person. 

Riccio will still keep up with the team after his retirement as he is still going to be a counselor at Mountain Range. His goal in the future after football is to still be in the Mountain Range community, but also to be able to focus on time with his kids. “Put some more focus on my kids and all their activities, life moments, and Sporting events.” Riccio states. With a surprise, after his kids are out of high school he may go back to coaching.