Beeville ISD announced that longtime South Texas high school baseball coach Lee Yeager will become the school’s new head coach and assistant athletic director on Tuesday, July 7.
Yeager, 58, is believed to have more than 700 career victories and has been Veterans Memorial’s only head baseball coach since the school opened in 2015.
“It’s a big deal for our athletic department and for our community,” said Beeville interim athletic director CJ Rivera. “We were blessed that Coach Yeager chose to come here. His experience, the success he’s had and the way he builds relationships with kids make him a great fit for what we’re trying to accomplish.”
The move was announced after Veterans Memorial had posted an opening for its head baseball coaching job on its Facebook account.
Yeager replaces Richard Vasquez, who served as the athletic director and head baseball coach, and retired after this school year.
“I’m really excited about coming in and helping other coaches,” Yeager said. “I’ve tried to do that in the past, but it’s hard to do when you’re just the baseball coach. Having the opportunity to be in this position was a big deal for me, especially at this stage of my career. I think there’s a lot I can share that will help move the athletic department in a positive direction.”
Yeager previously coached at San Augustine, Cleveland, Whitehouse, Carroll and Grapevine before joining the Eagles.
Yeager led Carroll to the UIL Class 5A state championship in 2010 and was recognized as the recipient of the 2026 South Texas Softball & Baseball Winter Banquet Lifetime Achievement Award.
“One of the reasons I came to Veterans Memorial was the opportunity to start a new program, and that was really special to me,” Yeager said. “That was one of the factors in coming back here. Now, this is a whole different opportunity. I feel like we got the program in the right place, and whoever takes over is going to inherit a solid foundation. This is a new challenge for me, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Under Yeager, the Eagles developed into one of the the area’s top Class 5A programs, which included a run to the UIL Class 5A state semifinals in 2018.
“Ten or 15 years ago, that program was one of the best around,” Yeager said about Beeville. “I want to help bring that success back. If I can get buy-in from the parents and players, I think my experience will help. I’ve been to the state tournament four times, and that’s our goal. I believe I can help raise the level of play, but it comes down to how badly the players want it.”
Veterans Memorial is the fourth CCISD school to have a change at the head baseball coaching position this offseason along with Carroll, Moody and Miller.
“I think he’s going to come in, put on a different-colored cap and feel right at home,” Riviera said. “His philosophy aligns with mine, and that’s working hard, doing the right thing and always putting kids first. That’s the culture we’re trying to build here.”
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Beeville names Lee Yeager baseball coach, assistant athletic director
Reporting by Rey Castillo, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Rey Castillo, Corpus Christi Caller Times | USA TODAY Network
