Former ETBU golf coach killed in USW van crash remembered by community

ANDREWS — Tyler James, ETBU graduate and former Graduate Assistant Coach for the men’s and women’s golf team was killed in a vehicle accident that claimed the lives of eight others on Tuesday night. According to our news partner KETK, a van driving the University of the Southwest’s golf team collided with a Dodge 2500 truck while they were headed home from a tournament in Midland. According to DPS, for unknown reasons the Dodge truck drove into oncoming traffic and hit the passenger van head-on. Reports say both vehicles caught fire and burned. James received his Master of Science in Kinesiology and graduated from ETBU in May 2021. Upon his graduation, he began his first year as head coach of the men’s and women’s golf program at the University of the Southwest. ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn has already been in contact with both President Cory Hines of Howard Payne University as well as President Quint Thurman of University of the Southwest.

“As a university community, we are connected to those around us and care deeply for all of those affected by this tragedy. The entire East Texas Baptist University community is praying for the University of the Southwest, Howard Payne University, and Coach James’ family, friends, teammates and all whose lives he touched,” said the University in a release.

Ryan Erwin, Vice President of Athletics, said that James was involved in Bible studies, discipleship, mission trips and weekly service projects that the teams participated in. “As a coach, Tyler’s character traits were centered around hard work, dedication, and the demand for excellence within the game of golf. Golf is such an individual sport, but at the college level, it is a team sport, so he really keyed in on that with our student-athletes,” said Erwin.