BYRON NELSON HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

MEET OUR COACHING STAFF

Brad Montgomery

Head Boys Basketball Coach

Coach Montgomery is in his third season as the coach of the Bobcats and his 14th season overall at Byron Nelson. It is his 26th year in coaching.

He is a 1994 graduate of Lancaster (TX) High School where he participated and excelled in multiple sports including a regional finalist baseball team, bi-district playoff football team, and in the nationally ranked basketball program at Lancaster. A 1999 graduate of Texas Tech University, he began his coaching career in Mansfield I.S.D. with other stops along the way including Carrollton R.L. Turner High School and Stephenville High School.

He has worked under two of the most successful coaches in the state of Texas in former Bobcat Head Coach, Scott Curran (current Northwest ISD Assistant Athletic Director), and Mike Dacus (retired - Stephenville High School).

In 2010, Brad and his wife, Christe, both began working in Northwest I.S.D. Christe is a Dyslexia Specialist at Beck Elementary in Trophy Club. He and Christe have a thirteen-year-old son, Maddox, who plays football and basketball at Medlin Middle School.

The Bobcats continued their playoff tradition last year by finishing runner-up in 4-6A and have not missed the playoffs since the 2017-2018 season. They have consistently averaged over 20 wins each season and made deep playoff runs, including three Regional Tournament appearances with Coach Montgomery as the assistant. During the 2020-2021 season, he was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 6A Assistant Coach of the Year.

Coach Willis

Asst Boys Basketball Coach

Coach Willis is entering his 20th year as an educator and coach. This season will be his first as a Byron Nelson Bobcat.

He is a 2003 graduate of Andrews High School where he discovered his love and found success as an All-District guard in the game of basketball.

Coach Willis received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Angelo State University and later earned his master’s degree in athletic administration from Ohio University.

He began his career at Andrews ISD, followed by Eagle-Mountain Saginaw ISD, and then Carroll ISD.

Coach Willis and his wife, Kendall, have one son, James, that is currently in fourth grade at Beck Elementary.

He looks forward to serving the Bobcat student-athletes, and helping to continue the tradition of excellence present in Byron Nelson basketball.

Ben Hanley

JV Head Coach

Coach Hanley is entering his 3rd year as an educator and coach. He is a 2018 graduate of Flower Mound High School where he was an All-District point guard on a 25-win team.

Hanley went on to play 5 years of college basketball at Trinity University, where he was a 3-time All-Conference selection and part of the 2022 team that advanced to the round of 32 in the Division III NCAA Tournament. He also had the opportunity to participate in multiple Team USA camps, where he was a practice player for the Women’s 3x3 team that won gold in the Tokyo Olympics.

Hanley is thrilled to continue his coaching career at Byron Nelson and is excited to share his knowledge and experiences with the Bobcat student-athletes. He aspires to assist in developing a highly competitive and disciplined basketball program that not only succeeds on the court but also shapes respectful, responsible, and determined young individuals.

Craig Owen

9TH A Team Coach

Coach Owen is in his 29th year of coaching and his 11th here at Byron Nelson. He previously coached at Marcus High School, Fossil Ridge, Grand Prairie, and Harwood Junior High. He graduated from Bell High School and UTA.

Coach Owen coaches the freshman A team and teaches Personal Financial Literacy and World Geography. He also is an assistant varsity football coach, coaching inside receivers. Coach Owen was on the staff of the 2 Marcus High School state championship basketball teams led by current Lakers guard, Marcus Smart.

Coach Owen has been married 23 years to his wife Jessica who is a Spanish teacher and cheerleading sponsor at Medlin Middle School. Coach Owen has 3 children, Jackson (22) who works in NYC, Garrett (18) is a freshman at the University of Alabama and Olivia (17) is a junior at Byron Nelson. Coach Owen is looking forward to a great season in basketball.

Mitchel Cruz

9B Team Coach

Mitchel Cruz is entering his 13th year of coaching. This will be his sixth season with the Byron Nelson Bobcats.

He previously taught and coached in Cypress Fairbanks ISD and Plano ISD before moving to Northwest in 2018.

Coach Cruz graduated from Texas A&M University in 2013. While there he met his wife, Sarah. The two have been married for 10 years. Sarah is an elementary teacher for NISD. They and their two sons, Jacob (6) and Landon (3), enjoy cheering on the Bobcats and are looking forward to a great season!

Bryan Reeves

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Coach Reeves is a dedicated Strength & Conditioning Coach with a strong background as a multi-sport athlete and performance coach.

A native of North Texas, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of North Texas and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Sports Administration. While at UNT, he gained invaluable experience as a Graduate Assistant Strength Coach, working with multiple sports teams.

Coach Reeves enjoys playing basketball, reading, and spending time with his family. He is motivated by faith and family and loves the time he shares with his wife and two sons.