GHS hires coaches Jenkins, Walrath and Walker
At its June 10 meeting, the Gainesville School District extended contracts to the following coaches for the upcoming 2024-25 school year:
• Morris Jenkins has been hired as head boys high school basketball and head junior high basketball coach. He formerly served as coach and/or athletic director for eight years at Gainesville, from 2014 through 2022, when he retired. During that time, he held the titles of P.E. teacher, athletic director, summer baseball and softball league coordinator, boys assistant basketball coach (for 2 years), head softball coach (for 1 year), assistant softball coach (1 year) girls head basketball coach (2 years) and boys head basketball coach (4 years).
“The circumstances, timing and the fact we really enjoyed our time in the Gainesville School and community in the past were all factors in deciding to take the position,” Jenkins told the Times. “Hoping we can serve the district in a positive way and give the students good opportunities to develop their future.”
• Joe Walrath will serve GHS as head high school softball coach for the upcoming year. He is returning to the school after his retirement in 2023. He lives in Gainesville with his wife Melinda “MJ” Walrath, who is a paraprofessional at Dora School District. Walrath began his teaching career in 1996, teaching at Gainesville for 26 of the 28 years of that career. He retired last summer but told the Times, “I didn’t realize how much I missed the kids until after I left.” Walrath will also be teaching world history and government classes.
• Jared Walker has been hired as the assistant high school softball coach, under Walrath’s direction. Walker lives in Gainesville where he owns and operates a cattle farm with wife Sara, who is a paraprofessional at Gainesville Elementary. They have two sons, Weston and Wyatt, both of whom graduated from Gainesville High School. They have one daughter, Sadie, who will be in eighth grade next year. Walker has served one year as assistant junior high softball coach at Gainesville School and has been a head coach in youth travel baseball and softball programs for 14 years.