Jeremy West to join BHS as baseball coach, assistant principal; Mindy West to join district as teacher
By Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
Former Stamford High School baseball coach Jeremy West will join the Breckenridge High School staff as the new head baseball coach and assistant principal, pending approval by the school board tomorrow. West’s wife, Mindy, will also be joining the BHS staff as a teacher.
The Breckenridge Independent School District Board of Trustees will vote on the Wests and several other new employees recommended by administrators. They will meet at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, July 1, in the BISD Administration Building, 212 N. Miller St.
Jeremy West was a coach at Stamford High School for 12 years, serving as head baseball coach from 2014 to 2018. According to BISD Athletic Director Casey Pearce, West left Stamford about three years ago for a job at Hamlin Collegiate Independent School District, where he has been the Dean of Student Services for the past year. Pearce said West wanted to be closer to Albany, where his youngest son, Ben West, played baseball. Ben graduated in 2020 and played on the Weatherford College baseball team this spring.
Pearce said that Jeremy West brings baseball coaching experience with him. “The biggest deal is he’s bringing some integrity, and some just great experience,” Pearce said. “He’s been to the tournament like five times, and they won a state championship there in Stamford.”
According to a 2018 Abilene Reporter-News article, “West led the Stamford baseball team to the Class 2A state tournament in 2016. He also was an assistant when the Bulldogs went to state four consecutive years starting in 2010. Stamford played in the state title game in 2012 and 2013.”
West will not be a full-time football coach but will serve as an analyst for the team, since he will also be serving as the assistant high school principal, Pearce said. “This is going to be huge for Breckenridge ISD,” he said. “I’m as excited about getting him as I was when I got the (athletic director) job.”
Although Pearce has never worked with Jeremy West, he said he did work with Mindy West in Stamford when Pearce first started teaching. “So, we’ve known each other a long time,” he said.
However, he has known West for many years and has discussed coaching with him from time to time.
BISD Superintendent Bryan Allen also said he has known the Wests for a long time. “He’s an intense coach and gets the most out of his kids, from what I’ve seen,” Allen said. “I think this is going to be a great fit for us. And I think he’s going to fit into our community well, and I’m excited about that. And as far as Mindy goes, I think that it is well known throughout the Region 14 that she’s one of the best history and social studies teachers there is. She’s got a lot of experience. She’s been doing it a long time. And she’s going to fit into our high school staff extremely well. She’s got some leadership capabilities that I’m excited about. I’m excited to get them here.”
Allen said that after the new employees are approved at Thursday’s school board meeting, the district should have two or three teacher vacancies left to fill. Additionally, there is some federal money that the district may be able to use to hire some support staff for the teachers.
Cutline, top photo: Jeremy and Mindy West are expected to join the staff at Breckenridge High School, following approval by the school board at a meeting on Thursday, July 1. (Courtesy Photo)
