The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The Orangefield school trustees named the district's new athletic director and head football coach at their meeting on Monday, January 22. Jeff Breaux was unanimously approved to fill the dual positions starting in February.

Breaux comes to Orangefield after serving as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Little Cypress Mauriceville High School the last three seasons. Previously, Breaux coached in his native Louisiana at high schools and at McNeese State, before coming to Texas where he worked at Lamar University and later at West Brook High School in Beaumont under Coach Eric Peevey who he followed to Little Cypress Mauriceville.

The job in Orangefield will be Breaux's first as a head coach. "My time at LCM will help tremendously. I've been the assistant head coach for Coach Peevey, and he always had me pretty close with him doing everything with the decisions. Being in his office seeing how it all works and all the little things that go to being an athletic director. Being with him is going to help me a lot," Breaux explained.

The locale and the success of the athletic program at Orangefield were prime reasons for Breaux applying for the positions there. Breaux elaborated, "The first thing for me was the community and having girls in my family this is a great place to be, great place to raise them, and for them to go to school. And when you look at the athletic success Orangefield has had over the years from top to bottom it's a really good athletic program in all sports. I felt like we could do some really good things here."

Orangefield Superintendent Dr. Shaun McAlpin commented on the school board's decision to select Coach Breaux as the athletic director and football coach. "This gentleman stood out amongst the crowd of applicants we had. We are very excited to have him," McAlpin expressed.

The superintendent and school board promised to work arm in arm with Breaux as takes on the new responsibilities. Breaux responded, "I'm very honored and thankful to be standing up here. I'm very excited and can't wait to get to work. I really believe we can do special things here in Orangefield."

Jeff Breaux is the new athletic director and head football coach at Orangefield

Breaux, age 41, indicated he hopes to meet with the kids in the Orangefield athletic program during the last week of January before his official first day at the job on February 1. Breaux said he plans to transition from the Slot-T Offense run by the Bobcats the last decade or so under Coach Josh Smalley who has taken the athletic director and head football coach positions at Bridge City High School.

"We'll be a little more traditional on offense, but the one thing I will say is the basis of the Slot-T about being physical and running the football that won't change. We've still got to be physical and we've got to run the football. Now we'll have more balance in our offense, we'll throw it a little more than they have in the past. It's going to be a little change, and we've got to get to work soon throwing and catching the football and getting the kids working in our system," Breaux concluded.