Ruben Cantu joined the Texas A&M-Kingsville athletic department in 1987 and currently serves as the Senior Associate Athletic Director and head athletic trainer for the Javelinas.
In this position, Cantu oversees the athletic training department for all sports, as well as direct report for women’s tennis and golf programs. He also oversees the upkeep of Texas A&M-Kingsville's athletic facilities.
Cantu is a member of the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association and is an associate member of the National Athletic Trainers Association. He belongs to the College Athletic Trainers Society. Cantu has supervised 32 former students who have gone on to hold head trainers positions at the high school level.
Before coming to Kingsville, Cantu worked as an intern at Trinity Valley Community College in 1986 and was the head trainer at Copperas Cove High School a year before joining the Javelina staff as a graduate student and shortly after graduation becoming a full-time employee.
A native of Mercedes, Texas, Cantu holds a bachelor's degree from Baylor University where he served as a student trainer in football and baseball. He received his master's degree in education/mid-management from Texas A&I in 1988.
He is married to the former Reili Liiva MS’05 and they have a son, Ruben Jaanus and daughter, Rafaella Jaarika. They reside in Kingsville.
