BRENHAM TO MAKE CHANGE IN BASEBALL LEADERSHIP
The highly vaunted Brenham Cubs Baseball program will be under new a new head coach in the 2020 season.
According to a release, Tuesday morning from the Brenham School District office, “The Brenham Cub Baseball program will be under new leadership in the 2019-2020 school year.”
The release does not mention 2019 Head Coach Lanny Williams by name, after the Cubs missed the post-season for the first time in 36 seasons.
In six seasons as the Cubs’ head coach, Williams was 161-82 (.665 winning pct.).
Williams won three District Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017; and advanced to the Region Final in 2017 before falling to State Champion Port Neches-Groves.
This season, however, Williams’ Cubs had to rally from an 0-6 district start and finished one game shy of a post-season berth at 7-7.
The BISD press release goes on to say: “The position for head baseball coach has been posted and the district is launching a statewide search for the best possible candidate.”
KWHI has reached out to Coach Williams and BISD Superintendent Dr. Walter Jackson for comment.
The compete BISD press release dated Tuesday, May, 28:
"The Brenham Cub Baseball program will be under new leadership in the 2019-2020 school year. The Brenham Independent School District has high standards for students, staff and programs and we assure our community that the rich tradition of excellence will continue with Cub Baseball. The position for head baseball coach has been posted and the district is launching a statewide search for the best possible candidate. The Brenham Independent School District remains committed to ensuring the highest quality programming for our students."
Jessica Johnston
Director of Communications and Community Relations
Brenham Independent School District
Good, bad or indifferent, I know quite a bit about this situation. It’s really funny to read some of the comments of the people who claim to know “the rest of the story.” The rest of the story is a lot of gossip, so don’t always believe what you hear. In reference to the job being handed to Lanny, I don’t quite understand how someone who was an assistant, and then a top assistant – for a total of 16 years – could have been a “handed” a job.
This wasn’t baseball related……
My thought is ” if you can not say something nice say nothing at all” words to live by. Everyone should not say anything IF they do not know what went on. Couch Williams is a good couch, only if players would gave listened and not run to their parents crying when things did not go their way. That i do know…..
There is more to the story. The past two years especially I’ve noticed Lanny wasn’t happy. I think it was a combination of players, weak coaching and this bad season that was the final straw – whose I don’t know or care honestly.
I do think the coaching could’ve been ineffective too. I’d you don’t have kids who want to work hard you won’t advance.
Case in point: I know a state champion coach – an excellent, multi-award winning coach, get fired from another school because the kids at his new school didn’t want to use his coaching to win. They just thought he was just a golden ticket, and didn’t care for his coaching.
Now, off field I have ZERO clue about coach Williams I’ll give you that. I did feel watching the dugout at times though the kids almost expected to advance and/or had kids goof off. (My perspective only).
Fact is between the kids expecting to advance, the district opponents getting better and such, if they don’t work hard and/or have inefficient coaching they won’t advance.
But truthfully if you watch body language he has NOT been happy for a time so this may be a blessing for him (fired or quit).
Well funny why don’t they release the rest of the story…. We all know who actually got him ran off…. All of Brenham Athletics is a joke and they are stuck in the buddy system or hey lets hire former softball players that have played here and won state championships as players…. What has that gotten them???? I’m personally sick of seeing the Brownwood connections and nothing to show for it. They say it wasn’t from missing the playoffs but I think other wise. I hope Williams gets a job within the district and runs it up big time on the parent coaches in the stands. And besides how good does it look running off a coach that ended a long playoff run???? Yeah that really gives them job security….
There is no Brownwood connection any longer. There is new leadership within Brenham Athletics, and you better believe our new AD will get it right this time and not “hand” it to someone, much like Lanny got it handed to him by that Brownwood connection you speak of.
First of all no one is perfect. And there are always two sides to every story. Does not matter who is in what position. Until Brenham learns to do better and not make things look better THEN AND ONLY THEN will Brenham BE BETTER. –
The article does not reference the word “fired” anywhere, it merely states the program is going in a different direction. This was long overdue. He was “handed” the reigns to one of the most storied programs in the state of Texas, by former athletic leadership. The recent decision by BISD was not about wins or losses, it’s about how you treat kids. If you ever played for him, or had a child who did, you would realize this is not about missing the playoffs. I commend the administration for taking a stance against this type of behavior and not allowing it to continue. There are 504 likes to this story and only 4 non likes, so apparently a whole bunch of people reading this agree that this was the correct move.
Just a quick note, a “like” on a story can mean many things, but on social media, it is often an acknowledgement of having read the article, it does not universally mean that everyone who clicks that button agrees with the article or the decisions that were made to create the facts that make it a new article. It can also simply be a show of appreciation to the media outlet for making it public. To assume that because someone hit “like: is an agreement with the schools administration is a inherently wrong.
Thank you, well said and on point! Some people don’t know the entire story and don’t realize it goes beyond the field. BISD did not go in a “different direction” based on this one season. Former recent players/parents along with current players/parents applaud this move and knew it had to be made for the program to be what it should be.
It’s about time . I agree . Favoritism players
As a parent of a former player, there were times that I did not agree with the decisions that Coach Williams made. I could not agree more with the statement that manner in which coaches and teachers treat kids is important. With that being said, if Coach Williams was handed the position by the former AD, how is that any different from any of the other positions that have been handed to others? Why is his treatment of students any worse than others? The former AD mistreated and over looked players for years and never won a state title. Some years the football team hobbled into the playoffs. He has faced opposition from the time that he took this position. I am perplexed by this outcry against him, when there are others who fell into that same category but the town sent them off with a plaque and a reception and cheered when he went to take the new job that was handed to him.
Factors outside missing the playoffs is what ultimately led to this, but his lack of relationship with players and discourse in the program sure didn’t help his cause any. A majority of former players and parents would speak highly of Coach West like I do since you brought him up and very few, if any, would about Coach Williams.
I wish I could star or like your comment. It was precisely what I was thinking when I read these other comments.
First off, the ones complaining is the ones who got rid of him. Secondly, it was mostly the ones who kids were playing for him. Thirdly, you all talked behind this man’s bad since day one. Changes was needed but not like this. I hope BISD will get someone who’s not from a Brenham. Yes, and we do know what he didn’t fit in means. That was a very low blow.
You know not what you speak…….”BIB” had nothing to do with this move or he would have never been “handed” the job to begin with.
true, if you are not from here you don’t fit in. people in brenham feel like they are superior, but at the end of the day we all put our pants on the same way. brenham wake up BISD hides alot!!!
I was a former player under the Hathaway regime and then just recently, a father to a player under coach Williams staff. I really didn’t know him personally, but the games that I watched during the season, were terribly coached. Some so bad I had to just get up and walk out. He obviously has been pre occupied with something else that he couldn’t focus on coaching. My son has also made mention to me that the coach also has been missing quite of bit of school hisself with some personal issues I am assuming with many substitutes filling in for him. I wish him the best in the future as well as the brenham baseball program. 36 years of brenham playoff history is now in the books and the count starts over at 1. With the talent and knowledge of the game that we have raised every year in this community, we should be in playoffs every year without a doubt. If I would have been the coach and that loss fell on me, I believe I would have resigned. Not making the playoffs IS a big deal around here. Ask a former player What they think and I believe you will hear the same thing from them.
He is a Great Coach! Wonderful Person! This is a mistake! He will do Great and the Cubs will regret this move!
Doubt it
To fire a man because he has one slightly bad season out of 6 really great ones seems grossly unfair. I would have expected better from our school district leaders. Do they apply this standard to all coaches and sports?
It wasn’t because of a bad season… something else happen
I see several people hinting at something else but the article reads like he was fired for having one bad season. I will acknowledge that good coaches have to make tough decisions and not everyone likes those. Some people get offended when told their player is not the best on the team or that he does not get as much playing time as they want, but the overall record of Coach Williams here in Brenham is pretty good. Someone said below that he did not “fit in”. What does that mean, he produced overall very good results, i would question someone’s motives when I read a statement like that. I don’t think people should post public “hints” about something else going on without any proof to back it up. Why slander a good man’s name and reputation with vague statements?
Coach Williams is an outstanding coach and an even better man. He is everything you could want in a coach, mentor, leader, and friend. It is a shame that he will no longer be leading the Brenham baseball program. Losing one of the best to do it.
He didn’t practice what he preach. It will get you into trouble every time
Well, that leash was pretty short, breaking up a great staff who had hard luck.
Change was needed period. Went beyond results on the field. Let’s get it right this time!!
If you only knew – the rest of the story…
I could imagine
I think people should keep what they know to themself. Because it may not be the truth and people and students will be hurt.
Gregg what’s the rest of the story? I’ve been a Cubs fan who’s kept up with the team from afar for the past 11 years. Seems like Lanny was the right fit when he took over for Jim, and seemed to me he was doing a well enough job as head coach especially with that trip to the region finals. Curious what the rest of the story is that we can’t get from KWHI or the Banner.
Hard luck? You don’t have a clue! Change was needed to get us back to where we should be.
Hard luck? This should have been years ago. Maybe we just got spoiled with the coaches we had in the past. Coach Williams is a great person but he just didn’t fit in here as head coach. Best of luck on your next journey!
Me, curious as to why “he just didn’t fit in here”? Not looking to start anything….just curious. I’ve been a Cubs fan for 11 years and have watched from afar in recent years. And from here it seeemed Lanny was doing a great job in filling Jim’s shoes especially making it to the region final. Clearly I’ve been missing something…
Thats bogus coach Williams is a great coach its called rebuilding when you have a young team
There is a higher standard here but it has nothing to do with baseball in this case. It’s about being in a position that requires the person’s conduct and integrity to be beyond reproach. They are in a position of trust that you would expect these higher standards to be applied and swift action to be taken to minimize the collateral damage caused by lapses in personal judgement.