A tragedy has struck the East Bernard community in Texas with the deaths of high school football coach Jeremy Jenkins and his wife, Brandy, a junior high teacher. The couple, both 51 and 46 respectively, died Saturday night in a single-vehicle car crash in Wharton County.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the couple was traveling on State Highway 60 around 10 p.m. when their vehicle veered off the road near a curve and overturned. Both Jeremy and Brandy Jenkins were pronounced dead at the scene. The accident occurred just days after the start of the new academic year.
Jeremy Jenkins served as the athletic director and head football coach at East Bernard High School. His wife, Brandy, had recently joined the district as a teacher at East Bernard Junior High School. The couple is survived by their three sons: Tyson, Gage, and Jake.
The East Bernard Athletic Booster Club issued a statement expressing the community's grief and commitment to supporting the Jenkins' sons. "Right now, football doesn't matter," the statement read. "Wins don't matter. None of it does. What matters is surrounding these boys with the same kind of love and support their family has given to so many of ours."
East Bernard ISD Superintendent Courtney Hudgins confirmed the loss in a letter to the community, describing Jeremy and Brandy as "colleagues, educators, mentors, friends and family." Hudgins remembered Coach Jenkins as a dedicated mentor who was committed to his students and fellow coaches.
Before his tenure at East Bernard, where he was preparing for his third season and had led the Brahmas to the Class 3A Division II state semifinals in the 2025 campaign, Jeremy Jenkins was the athletic director at Harmony ISD. School officials from Harmony ISD also expressed their condolences and acknowledged his impact.
In solidarity with the East Bernard community, neighboring school districts plan to wear East Bernard's maroon colors this week. The district has provided on-site grief counselors for students and staff. The Brahmas' season opener was scheduled for August 28.