BY ADAM ZUVANICH l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Don and Judy Meador no longer have to drive across the state to watch their son coach baseball.

More often than not, they won’t even have to leave town.

After spending the last nine years in the Houston area – where his parents made frequent trips every spring – Kent Meador is coming home. The Coronado graduate and former Texas Tech player was hired Wednesday as the new head coach at Monterey.

“My parents have followed me all over Texas. They’ve put many a mile on the old caravan,” said Meador, who spent the last six seasons at Klein Collins. “They’ll catch about 15 (games) a year, and they’ve never missed a playoff game in Houston. They would drive and watch a playoff series, and they’d go home and come back.

Meador

“So they’re in heaven,” he added. “From that standpoint alone, they’re as thrilled as they can be.”

The 44-year-old Meador said his family was the prevailing factor in his decision to leave Klein Collins, where he had a 153-62 overall record, won three district championships and reached the Class 5A state tournament in 2007. Meador’s wife, Leslie, is a Monterey graduate, and both of their families live in Lubbock.

Meador also was attracted by the prospect of coaching at Monterey, which has made 14 trips to the UIL state tournament and won four state championships – all under legendary coach Bobby Moegle. Meador replaces Moegle’s successor, Fred Oliver, who made eight playoff appearances and one trip to state in his 10 seasons.

Shortly after Oliver resigned about three weeks ago to take a job at Dallas Highland Park, Meador said only a “very special situation” would convince him to leave the successful program he built at Collins.

“The things that Monterey was willing to do to make it work just made me feel wanted and special, so it became a no-brainer pretty quick,” Meador said. “… There’s great kids here in Lubbock, Texas, and I know that.”

Melynn Hunt, interim athletic director for Lubbock ISD, said Meador was targeted early on because of his successful record and his ties to Lubbock. Hunt called him a “great addition” and said the district is “so very proud to have him on board,” and Meador also got a vote of confidence from his former coach and mentor.

Former Coronado coach John Dudley, who gave Meador his first high school coaching job in 1989, attended the LISD school board meeting where Meador was introduced.

“I think it’s really exciting, because he’s a great coach,” Dudley said. “I’ve watched him for a long time when he was playing for me, when he was coaching with me and then having to coach against him when he was at Tascosa. He is so creative in his practices and organization – he’s extremely well-organized – and he’s a great teacher of skills and a great motivator. I think he’ll be extremely successful over there.”

Meador described himself as a “hard-nosed, demanding coach that’s going to pat you on the tail at the end of the day and get you ready to come back the next day with a good frame of mind.” He also said he’s a hard worker who pays attention to detail and allows situations to dictate strategy, and that he knows how to relate with young players.

“I believe that sweat builds character, and I believe character builds championships,” he said. “I think you just teach the game, the fundamentals and work it over and over. I’ll find the kids that believe in that same thing.”

Although Meador is a Coronado guy, he said he has no qualms about wearing Columbia blue and red. He coached against the Mustangs while at Tascosa from 1994 to 2000, and he considers Coronado coach Jimmy Webster – a Monterey graduate – a good friend.

Meador proudly referred to himself as a “peon” on Wednesday, and said he’s ready to lead the Plainsmen into a new era.

“Not that I was out of gas or out of juice, but it’s just a new chapter,” he said. “And it’s happened so fast. I never expected it, didn’t go looking for it, so I have just been revitalized. It’s just a shot in the arm of energy, and I’m ready to unfold my program here and move forward. It’s exciting.”

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