Lubbock ISD is officially on the hunt for a new head football coach at Monterey High School. The district posted the job opening for the position of athletic coordinator and head coach on Friday, signaling a new chapter is coming for the Plainsmen football program.
The move comes weeks after former head coach Judd Thrash was arrested and charged with DWI following a one-car crash in early April. According to police reports, officers found a vehicle on its side near 130th and Quaker, with Thrash located a few blocks away, showing signs of injury. He reportedly admitted to having one or two drinks earlier that evening. Thrash was placed on administrative leave shortly after the arrest.
Thrash had just wrapped up his third season at Monterey, leading the Plainsmen to a 7–5 record and a share of the District 2-5A Division I title—the program’s first since 2006. It marked a strong turnaround from his debut season in 2022, when the team went 0–10.
While Lubbock ISD declined to comment further because it is a personnel matter, signs of transition were visible earlier in the week. At the district’s annual Hall of Honor luncheon, each high school was represented by its head coach—except for Monterey. Offensive coordinator Jason Sims attended in Thrash’s place and has been handling spring football duties during the interim.
Sims, who joined Monterey last offseason, is expected to be among the top candidates for the head coaching job. With a career head coaching record of 100–47, including successful runs at Quanah and Childress, he brings both experience and continuity at a time when Monterey looks to keep building on its recent success.
The Plainsmen’s next leader will inherit a program that’s finally trending up. Now, it’s just a matter of who’s going to carry that momentum into the fall.
