The Brownwood ISD Board of Trustees in a special called meeting Friday unanimously voted to approve 33-year coaching veteran Jeryl Brixey, most recently the offensive coordinator at Class 6A Katy, as the next head football coach for the Brownwood Lions.

During an introductory press conference after the meeting at the Central Support Office, Brixey said, “It’s an honor for me to be here. There are maybe 10 programs in the state of Texas that when you mention that town you think high school football and this is one of those places. I’ve very honored to be here. There’s not going to be anybody that works any harder than I do. Our staff is our going to work unbelievably hard for you and your kids. We’re here to serve the community and the way a community like this is served is by having a football team that they can be proud of and that wins. I understand what that life is like and what that means for a community, and we’re going to do that and do it at a high level.”

Brixey comes to Brownwood from Katy, where he served as the offensive coordinator since 2017, helping guide the Tigers to a 98-11 overall record during that span, including their most recent of nine state championships in 2020. In 2022-23, Brixey was recognized as the Katy ISD Male Sport Assistant Coach of the Year, a district that includes nine high schools and more than 500 coaches.

Brixey has one previous stint as a head coach, that coming at Comanche from 2007-11 where he posted a 17-35 record in five seasons. During his time at Comanche, Brixey took the Indians from a 0-10 mark in his first season in 2007 to a 9-3 record and their first playoff victory in 54 years during the 2009 campaign. Comanche also compiled three wins each in the 2008 and 2011 seasons, and two victories in 2010.

“When we went to Comanche we went up, we got better, we had a great year and then we took a breath and thought ‘we did it,’ and the thing I’ve learned in Katy is you can’t have that moment,” Brixey said. “As soon as you have and feel like ‘we did it,’ you’re going downhill. We won a state championship in Katy in 2020 and Coach (Gary) Joseph said take 24 hours and enjoy this, but I want your top 22 by Wednesday to look for the new season. We coached every single day like this is the difference in whether you win or lose, and that’s a mentality I didn’t have.”

Brixey arrived at Comanche after serving as offensive line coach at Katy in 2004, then offensive coordinator at Katy in 2005 and 2006. After resigning from his position in Comanche, Brixey served as offensive coordinator in Lewisville until 2015, when he took the same job at Euless Trinity before returning to Katy. During his career, Brixey has spent 15 seasons as an offensive coordinator.

Mostly an offensive line coach and offensive coordinator, Brixey said of his offensive philosophy, “It’s predicated on being able to run the football. We’re not going to have penalties. In eight years our starters at Katy had five holding calls on our offensive line. We’re not going to turn the football over. Over eight years we averaged less than one turnover a game. There’s multiple years we had 10 or 11 turnovers for the year. We’re going to run the football and we’re going to throw the football, a lot of play-action passes. If you want to compare it to an NFL team and what they do offensively right now, what Jim Harbaugh does with the Chargers is very similar to what we look like – the power running game, the play-action pass, some drop back passing game. In the last eight years at Katy, we averaged 430 yards and 45 points a game. We’re going to move the football and score points.”

As for the defensive side of the ball, Brixey said, “We’re going to base out of an odd look, a monster three-high safety. If you’re familiar with Austin Vandergrift and what they’re doing defensively right now, it’s causing so many people headaches and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Earlier stops in Brixey’s career included a brief stay as an assistant at the University of Idaho, two years at Lubbock Estacado, and six years at Galena Park North Shore before making the move to Katy the first time.

Regarding what Brixey feels he can bring to the program that might be lacking, he said, “I haven’t been here so I don’t know what’s lacking. I know what the expectations are and I know those expectations weren’t reached. I know what’s not lacking. I looked at those kids I just talked to and those are some good looking kids. I know it’s not facilities, or at least not what they’re going to be, but probably over time in my mind I’ll figure out what was lacking.”

Brixey takes over for former Lions head football coach and Brownwood alum Sammy Burnett, whose contract the Board on Feb. 10 voted not to extend by a 4-3 margin. In seven seasons at his alma mater, Burnett guided the Lions to a 51-31 overall record with seven playoff appearances, three 10-win seasons, a pair of district championships and a trip to the Class 4A Division I Region I final in 2023.

As for the fresh start for the football program, Brixey said, “I would just say support our program, support our kids and give us a chance to show you what we’re capable of.”

Brownwood ISD Athletic Director Mitch Moore stated Brixey was selected as the lone finalist from more than 40 applicants, eight of whom were brought in for interviews.

Moore added, “I’m excited to welcome Coach Brixey to the Brownwood Lion football program. His extensive experience with tradition-rich programs that prioritize toughness, discipline, and great effort will undoubtedly influence our team positively. I look forward to collaborating with him as he leads the Lions into a new era, building upon our storied history while instilling a culture of excellence.”

Brownwood ISD Superintendent Dr. Joe Young said, “Coach Brixey has consistently been involved in programs known for their excellence, discipline, and success on the biggest stages. We’re thrilled to have him bring that championship experience and culture to Brownwood. As both an educator and a coach, Coach Brixey embodies the kind of leadership that inspires not only athletes but the entire school community. I’m confident he will have a profound and positive impact on our students, Brownwood athletics, and Brownwood as a whole.”

Brixey holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education from Texas Tech University, where he was a two-year football letterman, and he has also pursued graduate studies in Sports Administration at the University of Texas. He and his wife, Kristi, have three daughters ages 20, 18, and 13.