Jeremy Smith has resigned his position as head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Brownwood High school effective November 20th. Coach Smith’s resignation was accepted by Dr. Reece Blincoe and presented to the school board at the Brownwood ISD Board of Trustees meeting Monday evening. Smith plans to go into the family car business with his father, former Brown County Sheriff, Glenn Smith. Smith has served as the head baseball coach for the Brownwood Lions for the past three years and was an assistant prior to becoming the head coach.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have Coach Smith as a co-worker and a friend over the past three and a half years. He’s done an outstanding job with our baseball program as well as being the head football coach for our ninth grade team,” said Brownwood High School Head Coach, Bob Shipley. “He has always done more than he was asked to do and that’s a wonderful quality about him. He’ll be missed for sure, but I wish him the best of luck as he moves on to the next phase of his life.”
Smith ends his coaching career at Brownwood with the following achievements: A three year record in Brownwood (62-33), in 2010 reached the third round of playoffs (Regional quarterfinals), District Champions (2010), and District Coach of the Year (2010), Regional Finalist (2011), District Champions (2011), and District Coach of the Year (2011).
Blake Sandford, the current Brownwood Middle School Athletic Coordinator, has been named to replace Smith as the Brownwood head baseball coach. Sandford joined the staff at Brownwood this year, coming from Lubbock Coronado High School. Sandford has served as head baseball coach at Early, Sweetwater, Hamilton and Bremond High Schools. While at Early, Sandford was named West Texas Coach of the Year. In addition, Sandford worked ten years as a scout for the Cincinnati Reds baseball organization. Sandford will finish out the school year as the Middle School Athletic Coordinator in addition to being head baseball coach. “We’re so fortunate to have someone like Blake Sandford on our staff that is very capable of taking over our baseball program,” said Shipley. “He’s been a successful head coach in the past and I see no reason why he won’t continue that here in Brownwood. You don’t have to talk to Coach Sandford long to tell he loves kids and is in this business for the right reasons. I think he can help kids by not only working with them on their skills but also relating to them his experiences as a pro baseball scout.”
