Gruver head football coach and Athletic Director Lee Brandon announces resignation
The everchanging world of high school coaching continued to evolve Saturday morning with another sudden and unexpected change in the Texas Panhandle.
Gruver head football coach and athletic director Lee Brandon has announced his resignation. Superintendent Wade Callaway plans to begin interviewing for the position as soon as possible.
"I appreciate everything that Coach Brandon and his family brought to Gruver," Callaway said. "I love them, and I certainly wish them the best in their future endeavors!"
The change comes following the completion of Brandon's third season at the helm of the Greyhounds. He'd previously spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach at various schools, including Shallowater, Spearman and Wellington prior to joining Gruver in 2020.
A graduate of Quanah and Texas Tech, the 39-year-old did not say what his immediate next step would be. He finishes his career at Gruver with an overall record 20-15, including 7-5 last season, with two postseason appearances.
"We are appreciative of our time that we had in Gruver (and) the relationships we built," Brandon told the Amarillo Globe-News. "We are looking to what the next chapter of our lives brings."
The news came 24 hours after another shocking bomb dropped from the Gruver coaching ranks. Head baseball coach Khris Kelp suffered a heart attack before the Greyhounds' playoff game on Friday. He was flown from Borger to a hospital in Amarillo where he's reportedly doing well. Kelp told the AGN on Saturday that he feels "great right now."
The Greyhounds went on to win their game against Memphis 22-0 and sweep the bi-district series. They advance to the area round now.
Brandon's resignation now creates a fourth head football coach opening and third AD opening in the Panhandle. Randall head football coach Gaylon Selman announced his retirement on Thursday, creating an open position within CISD that athletic director Toby Tucker hopes to fill by the second week of June. Like Brandon, Selman's departure was unexpected.
The other two open positions for football coach and athletic director exist at Boys Ranch and West Texas Stinnett. Former RoughRiders football coach/AD Aaron Wampler left the school to accept the same position at Clarendon following the departure of Clint Conklin for Slaton. Former West Texas football coach and AD Zach Ramos was recently reassigned.
Another position that just became available is that of boys basketball coach at Perryton. Former head coach Chad Farmer announced this week that he'd be leaving to accept a position as associate head coach for the Keller Central boys team.
Bushland High School is still seeking an eventual replacement for head baseball coach Joel Love, who will retire at the end of this season, and is expected to be looking for a new head softball coach following the resignation of former head coach John Blair. Blair was arrested last week for soliciting a prostitute.
Former Palo Duro girls soccer head coach Adriana Cavazos was announced as the new girls coach at Canyon on Friday, thusly creating an opening at PD as well.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Gruver head football coach and Athletic Director Lee Brandon announces resignation
