[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer Division I collegiate football players, including a Baylor Bear and a UTEP Miner, will take on coaching duties on the Lehman Lobo sidelines next fall.

Those hires, which were announced on social media during the course of the last few weeks, signify several changes across multiple sports under new head coach Joshua Kirkland.

Mack Leftwich, a former starting quarterback at the University of Texas at El Paso, will take over as Lehman’s new offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. Leftwich in 2016 assisted Kirkland as his offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at El Paso Parkland High.

Kirkland said Leftwich, who is “very much a student of the game,” hails from a coaching background. Leftwich’s father, Spencer, had recently coached at UTEP and at North Texas.

Brad Taylor, a former Baylor Bears tight end and San Diego Charger, will work with Lobo defensive backs next season.Kenny Davis, a former Carter High standout and collegiate football player, becomes the Lobos new defensive coordinator for 2017. Davis had helped Kirkland at Parkland High last year.

Taylor, who is also from Madisonville, played with former Heisman trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III during his time at Baylor. Kirkland said Taylor also hails from a coaching background as his mother, Shana, was a track and field coach at Madisonville.

Other changes to the football coaching staff include the hire of Gage Perry, who coached at La Grange High last season, along with Rick Rodriguez, who coached at Lockhart.

Kirkland said all of his hires believe in the changes he’s making and “where we’re heading.”

He said the connections he has made through networking across the state during his coaching career helped him secure some of the hires.

“Coaching is not a large world,” Kirkland said. He added a majority of the new coaches caught some of the team’s in-school practices in May and they “wanted to be a part of it.”

“They believe Lehman is ready to explode,” Kirkland said. “I’m fortunate to have them with me.”

An added benefit is exposing Lobo football players to athletes who have “made it” to the next level, Kirkland said.

Kirkland said many students “perk up” when they see coaches who have been able to reach the collegiate and professional level of the game.

“They get to see a guy that’s done it, a guy who’s got to play in the (NFL),” Kirkland said. “They know what it takes to get there.”

But one of the biggest changes outside of the gridiron was filling the boys head soccer coaching position after head coach Brad Baker stepped down.

Baker, who has been the head boys soccer coach for the last two seasons, chose to exit the coaching ranks and took a job in the Comal Independent School District, Kirkland said.

Rene Medina, who was an assistant for the varsity boys soccer team at San Marcos High, was announced as Lehman’s new head boys soccer coach on social media Thursday.

On the diamond, Jesse Bustamante was hired as Lehman’s new softball coach for 2017. Bustamante, who led El Paso Parkland to the playoffs last season, becomes the third head softball coach in as many years at Lehman.

Bustamante takes over for Lydia Baggett, who was hired by Lehman on an interim basis last season, Kirkland said.

Bustamante was hired amid a field of 12 head coaches and 30 assistants who applied for the position.

While many changes are taking root, several current Lobo coaches remain on the sidelines.

Orlando de la Fuente, who is the last head coach originally hired by the district when the campus first opened, remains as the head tennis coach.

Toby Robinson, head baseball coach, will stay on the diamond while James Halatin, girls head basketball coach, and Michael Whitten, boys head basketball coach, are also expected to stay for the 2017-2018 season.

Changing of the guard

Since Joshua Kirkland was named as athletic coordinator at Lehman High, several new head and assistant coaches have been hired at the school. Several longtime head and assistant coaches have moved on to other endeavors. Here’s a list of who’s in and who’s out at Lehman.

Who’s new?

• Joshua Kirkland: Lehman Athletic Coordinator, Head Football Coach
  Hired by Hays CISD in April to replace Todd Raymond, who left for the Pflugerville ISD athletic director job.
• Mack Leftwich: Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
  Former quarterback at the University of Texas at El Paso now leads the Lobo offense. Father is former North Texas assistant coach Spencer Leftwich.
• Brad Taylor: Assistant football coach
  Former Baylor Bear and San Diego Charger defensive back comes over to Lehman from Madisonville High.
• Rene Medina: Head Boys Soccer Coach
  Medina, who was recently the head boys soccer coach at San Marcos High, takes the reins of Lehman soccer. Takes over for Brad Baker
• Jesse Bustamante: Head Softball Coach, Football Assistant Coach
  Bustamante is the third Lehman softball coach in as many years. Formerly head softball coach at El Paso Parkland High. Replaces Lydia Baggett, who was hired last fall.
• Gage Perry: Running Backs Coach
  Perry was hired as running backs coach after a successful stint at La Grange High.
• Ricky Rodriguez: Assistant Football Coach
  A former assistant at Lockhart HIgh, Rodriguez will be brought on to help with the defensive backs after the departure of Brian Hempel.
• K Davis: Assistant Football Coach
  One of Kirkland’s first new hires, Davis was with Kirkland at Parkland High in El Paso.

Who’s staying?

• Orlando de la Fuente: Head Tennis Coach
  One of the last coaches originally hired when Lehman High opened in 2004, de la Fuente has led several athletes to the UIL state tennis tournament during his tenure.
• Michael Banning: Head Girls Soccer Coach, Assistant Football Coach
  Banning, who had served as the Lobo junior varsity girls head coach for several years, was named as the new head coach after Nauri Garcia stepped down.
• Toby Robinson: Head Boys Baseball Coach
  Robinson has led the Lobo baseball program for nearly a decade.
• Kathryn Legh-Page: Head Girls Volleyball Coach
  Legh-Page was hired prior to the 2016 season to helm the Lobo volleyball program
• James Halatin: Head Girls Basketball Coach
  A former boys basketball coach at Lockhart, Halatin was hired in the summer of 2016 to replace former coach Jamie Coy.
• Michael Whitten: Head Boys Basketball Coach
  Whitten led the Lobo boys basketball program to a successful campaign in 2017.

Who’s gone?

• Brian Hempel: Head Girls Golf Coach, Assistant Football Coach
  After 12 years at Lehman High, Hempel announced he was heading back to Austin Bowie, his alma mater, for the 2017-2018 season.
• Nauri Garcia: Head Girls Soccer Coach
  After leading the Lady Lobo soccer program for over a decade, Garcia announced he was stepping down as the head girls soccer coach. During his tenure, Lehman girls soccer won over 120 matches.
• Chris Armatta: Assistant Football Coach
  Armatta helped with quarterbacks during his tenure as a Lehman assistant coach.
• Brad Baker: Boys Soccer Coach
  Baker served as an assistant coach before he was promoted to take over for Jay Sansom, who left Lehman two years ago to take a job a New Braunfels Canyon.
• Lydia Baggett: Head Softball Coach
  Baggett was hired prior to the 2016 season to take over for Kita Adams.