Howard Payne head coach Kevin Bachtel wasted no time in hiring a new offensive coordinator. Former Taylor head coach Brandon Houston will make the jump into the collegiate ranks and assume the reigns of the Yellow Jackets offense after posting a 40-19 mark in five seasons as a head coach.

Houston spent last year as offensive coordinator for Del Valle after spending two seasons as head coach at Taylor, where he led the Ducks to a remarkable turnaround. Taylor was mired in a 21-game losing streak when Houston took over the program. He led the Ducks to a 5-6 record in 2022 and an appearance in the Class 4A Division I playoffs.

Before joining the Ducks, Houston was head coach at Buffalo. He led the Bison to a 32-6 record and three consecutive appearances in the Class 3A Division II playoffs, including a district championship in 2018. Before joining Buffalo, the man known as “Coach Huey” was the offensive coordinator who helped lead Rockdale to the Class 3A Division I state championship in 2017.

Houston owns and operates CoachHuey.com, a message board for coaches, fans, and parents to learn about football and how to improve. He inherits an offense that produced 34.4 points per game and scored 46 touchdowns while posting a 6-4 record overall and a 3-3 mark in the American Southwest Conference. Houston replaces Brad Wilson, who left for an opportunity with an FCS school last week.