Some coaches are forever linked, whether by choice or circumstances. Take Jason Bachtel and Braxton Harris, for example. They are forever linked, partly by circumstances and, more recently, by choice.

To understand their connection, let’s rewind to the end of the 2016 season at Howard Payne, where Harris was tasked with turning around a downtrodden program that had not posted a .500 record since 2006. Two years later, the Yellow Jackets finished 5-5, and Harris accepted an assistant coaching position at Campbell.

Bachtel was hired to replace Harris weeks after helping guide Argyle to a Class 4A Division I state title as offensive coordinator in 2020. Forty-seven days later, Bachtel was head coach at HPU during the Spring 2021 season. Highlighted by his prolific offense, Bachtel led the Yellow Jackets to back-to-back 7-3 records in 2021 and 2022.

When Harris was hired to lead Houston Christian after the 2022 campaign, he assembled an all-star cast led by Bachtel as offensive coordinator. The Huskies proceeded to post the program’s first winning season since starting football in 2014. Harris departed to become the head coach at Campbell after posting a 6-5 mark, and the administration quickly moved to name Bachtel head coach 10 days later.

“Braxton did a tremendous job setting the foundation at Howard Payne. He brought in some good football players, and I was able to keep moving that (program) forward,” Bachtel said. “He deserves a ton of credit at both places for what he accomplished. The foundation is set. Now, it’s time to build the walls around Houston and the State of Texas to move this program forward.”

While the paths HPU and HCU have taken have many similarities, Bachtel believes the Huskies program is in a better situation than when he took over the Yellow Jackets due to being on staff last year.

“When I took over for Braxton at HPU, I had never worked for or even known him,” Bachtel said. “I was constantly calling him to ask why he did some things so I could understand what we needed to do moving forward. At HCU, I was on the ground level and knew Braxton’s thought process last year. The process and the message are the same, and the players are responding the same way.”

Harris’ departure to the Camels allowed each player an opportunity to enter the Transfer Portal, which was a concern for Bachtel when half of his staff followed Harris to Buies Creek. The timing also put HCU’s impressive 2024 signing class at risk. However, Bachtel quickly put together another all-star assistant staff, and the Huskies signed the top 2024 FCS class, according to 247Sports.

“We lost half of our staff and almost all our behind-the-scenes personnel,” he said. “When we lost those guys, our focus turned to the recruits because change happens quickly in college football today. I have to give our administration a ton of credit. They worked fast to keep the remaining assistants and hire new members. We had a full staff in place in 96 hours - boots on the ground. Everyone in our organization deserves credit.”

Two areas that didn’t change in the transition from Harris to Bachtel are expectations and excuses. Everyone in the country knows that HCU doesn’t have the best athletic facilities. Like his predecessor, Bachtel doesn’t allow anyone to use the facilities as an excuse for poor performance.

“It’s funny that people always talk to me about facilities. We don’t let anyone in our program use that as a limitation,” he said. “Our administration is as committed as ever to improving HCU and eventually improving the facilities. They want to win and do things right. I think the best days are ahead for Houston Christian University and the athletic department.”

As for the expectations?

“Control the controllables. The facilities are out of our control, but what’s in our control is how we respond with our attitude and effort,” Bachtel said. “We want to be authentic and honest because that’s attractive to people. We have to trust the process and get better every day. We’re excited about the challenge of this season and the Southland Conference. We think we’re going to make some noise this year.”

DCTF Take’s

The 2023 campaign was a banner year for the Huskies, and the future was looking very bright under Braxton Harris. But his departure to Campbell at the end of the year irked the administration and alumni base, who felt the program was beginning something that could be special when the football facility is upgraded.

If history is any guide, promoting Bachtel to head coach will pay dividends. Bachtel knows how to coach football and is one of the top offensive minds in Texas. He quickly assembled an incredible staff, but his most impressive choice was the defensive coordinator. Zach Wilkerson is one of the best defensive minds in Texas. Combined, this duo will create problems for opponents for the foreseeable future. Bright days are ahead for HCU.