Kevin Bachtel

From Staff Reports

Edgewood ISD has announced that Kevin Bachtel will be returning as the new head football coach at Edgewood High School.

Bachtel, who will also be the assistant athletic director and coordinator of collegiate recruitment, was the head football coach at Edgewood from 2016-20 and led the Bulldogs to a 40-17 record and five trips to the postseason.

“I am honored and excited for the opportunity to join the Edgewood community again,” Bachtel said in the Edgewood ISD news release. “I believe strongly in the power of building relationships and creating a family atmosphere withing a team. My mission is to help student-athletes grow as individuals, both in academics and athletics, and to prepare them for life beyond sports.”

Bachtel left in April 2021 to be the defensive coordinator at Howard Payne University. After two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Howard Payne, Bachtel was named the head coach of the Yellow Jackets.

In Bachtel’s two seasons as the head coach at Howard Payne, the Yellow Jackets went 8-12 over and 3-9 in the American Southwest Conference.

Before Edgewood, Bachtel had coaching stints at Grand Saline High School as the assistant head football coach and defensive coordinator and at Willis Point High School as the defensive coordinator.

Bachtel replaces Alex Guerra, who took over the Bulldogs after Bachtel’s departure. Guerra led the Bulldogs to the playoffs in all four seasons, posting a record of 27-18.

Edgewood has now made the playoffs in 13 straight seasons.

Edgewood is in District 9-3A Division II with Grand Saline, Harmony, Lone Oak, Prairiland, Quitman and Paris Chisum.

Bachtel and his wife, Sara, have a daughter, Madlyn, who is a pediatric nurse.