Marble Falls checks off boxes for new baseball coach and family
STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO
It didn’t take long for new Marble Falls High School baseball coach Tyler Porter to understand the importance of his sport to the school district.
Playing on the screen during the Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees special meeting June 3 was MLB.tv, Major League Baseball’s network. Analysts were covering the 2019 draft, and school district officials had a personal interest in the outcome. Former Marble Falls student Brett Baty, the son of Leslie Baty, MFISD’s director of elementary education, was projected to be a first-round selection. He was drafted No. 12 overall by the New York Mets.
Porter said that when he and his wife, Jodi, began talking about moving to a new school district and city, at the top of the list was a better quality of life for their two daughters: 7-year-old Easton and 4-year old Perry. The family was looking for a terrific school district with a high academic standard, a close-knit, caring community, and the perfect location.
Marble Falls “checked off all the boxes,” he said.
“We want our kids to grow up in a small town that’s near a big urban area,” he said. “It’s exciting to be here. It’s awesome.”
Porter is finishing his 15th year in education after starting his career in the corporate field. He earned a business degree from Texas Christian University but remembered staring out the window of his office imagining coaching like his brother.
So, he gave up the business world for the high school diamond and classroom, where he teaches social studies.
His first job was at Arlington Heights as an assistant coach for four years. He then took a lateral move at McKinney Boyd and stayed another four years.
He returned to his hometown of Missouri City to become the head coach at Fort Bend Elkins, compiling a record of 106-91-3 with two district titles, six playoff appearances, and district Coach of the Year honors twice.
Porter wants his players to understand that working hard individually influences those around them.
He believes there’s plenty of baseball talent in the school district, starting from the elementary schools and continuing up to the high school. His role as head coach, he said, is to help mold and sharpen the athletes.
Athletics director Rick Hoover said that commitment to developing the baseball program from elementary and up put Porter over the top of the other three finalists who interviewed for the job. More than 35 coaches applied for the position.
“We really liked his philosophy in building the team,” he said. “He’s all about relationships. That shares the same philosophy we have. He cares about the kids.”
Hoover said people shouldn’t be surprised to see Porter attending Marble Falls Youth Baseball and Softball Association contests as he gets to know the younger players, their families, and coaches.
Hoover said Porter will “roll up his sleeves” to work with the community and youth players to help them improve.
Officials also liked that Porter has stayed a minimum of four years at each stop. The way Porter talked, however, sounded like he plans to be in Marble Falls for quite awhile because the community has the the characteristics important to him and his family.
“There’s a passion for all sports,” he said. “Baseball in the spring, people want to be good at it. I think the baseball bandwagon will be full.”
2 thoughts on “Marble Falls checks off boxes for new baseball coach and family”
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Good Luck to the kids at Marble Falls. Y’all better get on his good side because that is the only way y’all will get on varsity. Tho he does play the good players, there is always some on varsity that doesn’t belong. Even though he has better players on JV. My 4 years with him could’ve been a lot better if he would’ve gave the opportunities I deserved, along with others who did not get the opportunities they deserved.
Coach Porter is an excellent choice. We will miss him very much! He treated the Elkins baseball team like family. Good luck to Marble Falls baseball. You have chosen the BEST coach!