East Bernard teacher, football coach killed in crash

EAST BERNARD, Texas - A small Wharton County school district is coming together to support one another after its athletic director and coach and his wife were killed in a weekend crash.

What we know:

Jeremy Shane Jenkins, 51, and Brandy Renee Jenkins, 46, both of East Bernard, died Saturday night after a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 60 near County Road 210, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

DPS said a 2025 Tesla Model Y was traveling northbound on SH 60 around 10:07 p.m. and approaching a curve when it left the roadway to the east and overturned.

Jeremy Jenkins, who was driving, and Brandy Jenkins, who was a passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene.

DPS said the crash remains under investigation.

A loss felt across East Bernard ISD 

The deaths are hitting especially hard at East Bernard ISD, a district of roughly 900 students where the superintendent says the K-12 campuses are all located within one city block.

Superintendent Courtney Hudgins described Jeremy and Brandy Jenkins as wonderful people who were dedicated to children and said the close-knit nature of the district means their loss is being felt throughout the school community.

Jeremy Jenkins served as East Bernard ISD's athletic director and a coach and teacher. Before coming to the district, he worked at Harmony ISD and had a lengthy career in education and coaching.

Brandy Jenkins had also worked in education, including at Katy ISD and Harmony ISD.

The couple had three sons. Two attend East Bernard High School, including a sophomore, while their oldest son is in college and coached at East Bernard last year.

Students and teammates have been rallying around the family. East Bernard student Presley Claxton, who knew both Jeremy and Brandy Jenkins, said the community is heartbroken and described the loss as difficult for everyone.

Claxton said members of the football team spent time with the Jenkins' sons Monday as students tried to support them.

Students create memorial around school

Across the school, students have also found their own way to remember the couple.

Handwritten messages have been placed on trees around campus, creating a memorial filled with notes and memories from students.

Hudgins said even students who had only been in Brandy Jenkins' classroom for about three days had already grown to adore her.

Counselors are available to support students and staff, and Hudgins said other school districts and people from surrounding communities have also reached out to help.

The district is working to establish ways for people who want to support the Jenkins family and school community to do so.

Jeremy Jenkins' impact on East Bernard athletics

As athletic director and coach, Jeremy Jenkins had recently helped lead East Bernard's football program through a major turnaround.

During the fall 2024 season, the team lost in the area round of the playoffs.

East Bernard then started the 2025 season 0-3 before turning things around and advancing all the way to the state semifinal round, where the team lost to Newton.

School leaders say Jenkins' impact extended beyond football. As athletic director, he was involved across the district's athletic programs, while his work as a coach and teacher allowed him to build relationships directly with students.

Now, students, staff and families across East Bernard are remembering both Jeremy and Brandy Jenkins and rallying around their three sons as the community grieves their loss.

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