TWHS Welcomes New Staff

Tomball West High School is proud to welcome the following co-curricular leaders, representing fine arts and athletics.

Chad Krempin | Head Baseball Coach

Tomball West is excited to welcome Chad Krempin to the Tiger family as the inaugural Head Baseball Coach. Coach Krempin has just completed his 24th season as a Head Baseball Coach. During his career, he has served as head coach at Jarrell, Lampasas, Llano, San Angelo Central, Salado, and most recently at Leander-Rouse High School, where he spent the past decade. Coach Krempin has compiled a career record of 573–245. Throughout his 24 years as a head coach, he has never had a losing season and has missed the playoffs only once. His teams have been to six State Tournament appearances—three at Rouse—including a State Finals appearance in 2016. His accomplishments also include 11 District Championships, 18 Bi-District Championships, 11 Area Championships, and eight Regional Finals appearances. Coach Krempin has been named District Coach of the Year 12 times and All-CenTex Coach of the Year five times. He has coached 39 All-State players, including 12 District MVPs, and has helped numerous student-athletes continue their baseball careers at the collegiate level. At least 26 of his former players have gone on to compete at the NCAA Division I level.

Coach Krempin has helped more than 84 student-athletes go play college baseball, including 52 players from Rouse High School during his 10-year tenure.

Grace Lewis | Head Orchestra Director

Grace Lewis joins Tomball West High School as an accomplished double bassist and music educator in Houston, Texas. She currently serves as the Head Director of Orchestras at G.W. Carver Magnet High School in Aldine ISD, and as conductor for the Pearland Youth Orchestra. A dedicated advocate for equitable access to music education, Lewis specializes in building inclusive, community-centered programs that foster collaboration and artistic growth among student musicians. Under her direction, her ensembles have consistently earned superior ratings at UIL, presented multiple programs in collaboration with professional musicians from the Houston Symphony and the Houston Professional Musicians’ Association, and have set historical precedent in Aldine ISD by participating in the district’s inaugural symphony orchestra.

Lewis holds a Master of Music in Instrumental Performance from the University of Houston, where she studied with Dennis Whittaker, and a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Performance from Oklahoma City University under Dr. John Schimek. During her time at OCU, Lewis was a winner of the Bass School of Music concerto competition, a Presser Scholar, and a recipient of the Mailman Excellence in Performance Scholarship.

An active performer, Lewis is principal bassist of the Houston Women’s Chamber Orchestra and has appeared with ensembles like the Apollo Chamber Players, Houston Ballet Orchestra, the Symphony of Southeast Texas, and more. In addition, Lewis is deeply involved in arts administration and outreach. She is the Artistic Manager of the Houston Youth Chamber Orchestra, committee chair for the annual Houston Professional Musicians’ Association Women in Music Festival, and co-founder of the Houston Women’s Chamber Orchestra. She has also served on the Advisory Board of the International Society of Bassists.

Highly regarded as a clinician and adjudicator, Lewis has been recognized for her contributions to music education as a recipient of the Houston Symphony’s Excellence in Music Education Award and designation as an Exemplary Teacher by the Texas Education Agency. Her writing has appeared in TMEA’s Southwestern Musician journal, where she co-authored an article on program development in musically underserved environments

Kellie Brewer | Head Girls Soccer Coach

Tomball West High School is excited to welcome Kellie Brewer as the inaugural Head Girls Soccer Coach. Coach Brewer joins Tomball West with a distinguished 13-year coaching tenure at Cypress Woods High School. As a Junior Varsity coach, Brewer led her programs to multiple district titles while fostering a culture defined by competitive excellence and student-athlete development. Those efforts were recognized in 2022, when she was named the TASCO Region 2 Assistant Coach of the Year.

Her leadership at the sub-varsity level served as a cornerstone for the program's broader success, contributing to six varsity district championships and 13 consecutive playoff appearances. A graduate of Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, Brewer is deeply committed to mentoring students both on the pitch and in the classroom. Alongside her husband and two children, Coach Brewer is honored to join the Tomball West community and is dedicated to establishing the "Gold Standard" this inaugural season

Ryan Scott | Head Golf Coach

Carlos Manrique | Head Boys Soccer Coach

Tomball West High School is proud to welcome Coach Carlos Manrique as the inaugural Head Boys Soccer Coach, joining the Tiger Family! Coach Manrique brings eight years of head coaching experience to Tomball West, highlighted by a successful tenure at Sam Rayburn High School where he built a competitive disciplined program and led his teams to consistent growth and excellence, including back-to-back state playoff appearances for the first time in nearly two decades. He orchestrated the most successful season opening in program history during the 2023-24 season with an undefeated 8-0 record, delivering one of the most triumphant seasons in school history securing the 2024 Cy-Fair RAM Cup Tournament Championship. His leadership was also recognized in 2022 when he was named Coach of the Year. Before coaching the Sam Rayburn Texans, he was the Head Coach at Lone Star College - North Harris Men's Soccer. In his first season, he achieved an undefeated 2018 HCSC Championship season guiding the North Harris Hurricanes to the 2018 NIRSA Regional Championships. In his second season, he captured the 2019 Lone Star Sport Club CSL Championship with a dominant 7-1-2 record before moving to the High School soccer level. 

A former collegiate player at the University of St. Thomas Men’s Soccer program, he was part of the NAIA Red River Conference Championship team in 2013 that qualified to the National Championship Tournament. He also earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the Cameron School of Business, equipping him with a strong foundation in leadership and program management.

Born in Iowa and raised in Spain, Coach Manrique’s passion for the game was shaped internationally early on playing for A.D. Collado Villalba Fútbol Sala in Madrid, Spain, before moving to Houston, Texas, where he was selected to play for the South Texas ODP State Team and gained top tier developmental experience playing for the Houston Dynamo Youth Academy— bringing an elite-level playing background to his coaching philosophy.

Derek Cain | Head Boys Basketball Coach

Coach Derek Cain is thrilled to step into the role of Head Boys Basketball Coach at Tomball West High School, opening this school year. With 17 years of coaching experience, including nine years as a head coach in Magnolia ISD, Coach Cain brings a proven track record of leadership, program development, and a passion for growing student-athletes.

During his time as a head coach, his teams have advanced to the playoffs five times, including leading a 6A program to the playoffs in just its second year. Coach Cain is eager to build a program grounded in a positive culture, high expectations, and a relentless commitment to excellence.

He looks forward to setting the Gold Standard at Tomball West through hard work, discipline, and strong relationships with his players and the school community. Derek and his wife, Caitlin, have two sons who will be attending West Elementary next year. The Cain family is excited to join and invest in the Tomball West community.

Taylor Harris | Head Girls Basketball Coach

Tomball West High School is excited to welcome Taylor Harris to the Tiger family as the inaugural Head Girls Basketball Coach. 

In her first year as a head coach, she led the Klein Oak Panthers to a 3^rd place finish in District 15-6A. Coach Harris will be entering her 7^th year teaching English and 6^th year coaching. Coach Harris joins the Tigers after spending the last 4 years at Klein Oak and two years in Spring ISD. 

Coach Harris holds a Bachelors Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Prairie View University and a Masters Degree in Instructional Leadership from Sam Houston State University.  Coach Harris is passionate about coaching, teaching and developing students-athletes on and off the court  

Kaitlyn Chiles | Head Softball Coach

Jason Michaelis | TWHS Choir Director

Tomball West is excited to welcome Jason Michaelis to TWHS as the inaugural Choir Director.  Mr. Michaelis is in his 17th year of teaching choirs at the secondary level. He is currently the assistant choir director at Tomball High School where he leads the Varsity Tenor-Bass, Non-Varsity Treble, and Non-Varsity Tenor-Bass choirs. 

Since coming to Tomball five years ago, THS choirs have experienced tremendous growth and success in all facets of their program.  Jason helped establish the THS Chamber Choir, which recently claimed second runner up at the prestigious San Antonio Madrigal Festival, and he built the new Tomball HS Choir Parents’ Association.

Under his direction, Jason’s choirs have had tremendous success, including numerous Sweepstakes awards at UIL Concert and Sightreading, and many of Jason’s students have placed in regional and state honor choirs, including the TMEA All-State Choirs. 

Prior to coming to Tomball, Jason worked at W.T. White High School in Dallas ISD as both the assistant and, later, head choir director. He taught at the middle school level for five years at the beginning of his career. 

Jason holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Texas Christian University and he will graduate with his Masters of Music Education from Dallas Baptist University in May. Jason has been married to his wife, Kadie, for 18 years. They have two children, Nora and Isaac, as well as a white lab, Penny.

Jacqueline Olivares | TWHS Dance Director

Tomball West is excited to welcome the Tiger family Jacqueline Olivares! Ms. Olivares is a South Texas native joining the Tomball community with over 10 years of experience in public education. She currently serves as the Head Dance Director at Pieper High School in Comal ISD. Throughout her career, Ms. Olivares has built and led dynamic, high-performing programs that balance competitive excellence, strong enrollment growth, and comprehensive student development. Under her direction, her teams have earned notable competitive accolades while fostering a culture of discipline, leadership, and school pride.

Ms. Olivares earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Education from Texas State University, where she was a proud member of the Texas State Strutters. She holds a Master of Arts in Dance Education from Texas Woman’s University and is currently a doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City, pursuing an Ed.D. in Dance Education with a concentration in Teacher Pedagogy, Leadership, and Policy.

Her professional work extends beyond the classroom into curriculum writing, teacher professional development, and student leadership training. She is an active presenter at both the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and the Texas Dance Educators Association (TDEA), contributing to statewide and national conversations on dance pedagogy, assessment, and educational policy. Ms. Olivares also serves as the Committee Chair for the TDEA Texas Dance/Drill Team Assessment & Competitions Committee, a statewide initiative leading a pilot program focused on pursuing UIL sanctioning for dance as an official activity.

In addition to her state leadership, Ms. Olivares mentors future dance educators as a cooperative teacher for Texas State University and serves as a research assistant to Dr. Barbara Bashaw at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Her recognitions include grants from the Comal Education Foundation, the Texas Woman’s University “Excellence in Writing” Scholarship, New Teacher of the Year 

Through her work as an educator, researcher, and leader, Ms. Olivares remains committed to developing dancers who are student leaders while positioning dance as a vehicle for success beyond the classroom.

Daniel Garza | Head Cross Country Coach

Coach Garza is excited to step into the role of Head Cross Country Coach at Tomball West High School. A former standout distance runner, he competed under 5-time state champion coach Susie Walters at East Bernard High School, where he was a four-year state qualifier in both cross country and track and field. He earned two state championships as a member of the 4x400 relay team and was a two-time individual state medalist in the 800-meter run.

After high school he earned the opportunity to continue to run at Baylor University before transferring and eventually graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University. He began his teaching and coaching career in Fort Bend ISD, where he coached multiple sports, including starting a cross country club to grow the sport in the district, and was honored as Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2019.

He later spent five years in Katy ISD at West Memorial Junior High, leading the 7th and 8th grade boys track and field teams to back-to-back district championships in 2022 and 2023. The first in the school’s 50-year history. In recognition of his successful work at West Memorial Junior High he was named Coach of the Year in 2023.

He currently serves as the Head Boys Track and Field Coach at Grand Lakes Junior High in addition to his work in the classroom as a Spanish teacher. Coach Garza is passionate about developing disciplined, confident athletes and building a competitive program rooted in hard work, team culture, and excellence

Alyssa Aponte | Head Athletic Trainer

Alyssa Aponte is excited to join Tomball West High School as its inaugural Head Athletic Trainer. She comes to Tomball West from Waller High School, where she served as an assistant athletic trainer for the past five years. A native of Conroe, Mrs. Aponte earned her Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from Texas State University.

Mrs. Aponte is married to her husband, Miguel and is the proudest pet parent to two fur babies Obi and Lyla. Outside of work, she enjoys relaxing with her family, catching up on crime shows, and spending quality time with the people she loves most.

Mrs. Aponte is dedicated to supporting student-athletes through injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance care, she is passionate about fostering a positive, encouraging environment where athletes feel supported both on and off the field. Mrs. Aponte looks forward to building strong relationships with students, coaches, and families as she becomes part of the Tomball West community.

Kelli White | TWHS Cheer

We are thrilled to introduce Coach White as the new Head Cheer Coach of the TWHS Cheer Program!

Coach White brings over 25 years of cheer coaching excellence to our campus. For the past five years, she has served as Assistant Cheer Coach at Tomball High School, where her leadership helped guide the team to two 2nd-place finishes and a 3rd-place finish at the UIL State Spirit Competition, along with two 3rd-place finishes and a National Championship at the NHSCC UCA High School Nationals. Her favorite thing about Tomball Cheer is the true cheer family that they have created.

Prior to her time in Tomball, Coach White dedicated 17 years to Klein High School, where she helped build a powerhouse program and earned three NCA High School National Championships, establishing a legacy of competitive excellence and strong team culture and family.

Beyond her impressive coaching résumé, Coach White has been happily married to her husband, Steve, for 29 years. Together they have three children—Mary, Braden, and Hudson—who have been a constant source of pride and support throughout her career.

Coach White is honored and excited for the opportunity to build the TWHS Cheer Program from the ground up. She is passionate about instilling a strong work ethic, integrity, school spirit ,and a true cheer family atmosphere where athletes grow not only as competitors, but as leaders on and off the mat.

Kate Zora Norris | Head Volleyball Coach

We are proud to announce the hiring of Kate Zora Norris as the Head Volleyball Coach at Tomball West High School. Zora Norris brings 24 years of coaching experience and 685 career victories to the Tomball West Tigers, along with one of the most accomplished coaching resumes in Texas high school volleyball.

Throughout her career, Zora Norris has led teams to the UIL State Tournament at three different schools, demonstrating her ability to build and sustain elite-level programs across classifications and regions. At Klein High School, she guided the program to a UIL 6A State Final appearance, competing on the sport’s biggest stage. At A&M Consolidated High School, she led the Tigers to a UIL 5A State Semifinal appearance. Most recently at New Braunfels High School, she directed a 45–6 season, a 16–0 district championship, and a UIL State Semifinal finish.

Earlier in her career at Westwood High School, Zora Norris led the program to multiple Regional Tournament appearances, establishing a foundation of postseason consistency and competitive excellence. She began her head coaching career at Fort Bend Bush High School and has built winning cultures at every stop along the way.

Beyond team accomplishments, Zora Norris has developed more than 130 student-athletes who have gone on to compete at the NCAA Division I level, a testament to her commitment to elite player development and long-term athlete growth. Her programs are recognized for disciplined culture, academic accountability, and a championship mindset.

Zora Norris now returns to the Houston area to lead the launch of Tomball West Volleyball as the campus opens with freshman and sophomore classes. She will establish the identity, standards, and competitive framework of the Tigers from day one.

Having competed at the highest levels of Texas 5A and 6A volleyball, Zora Norris brings extensive experience navigating elite competition and deep postseason play. As Tomball West enters the 4A state classification, she looks forward to building a program ready to compete immediately while establishing a foundation aligned with the Tomball West Gold Standard — emphasizing preparation, character, accountability, and sustained excellence.

As Tomball West begins its inaugural year, the volleyball program will be built on championship expectations, long-term growth, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Cindy Hearn | TWHS Theatre

As a theatre educator of 13 years, Mrs. Hearn joins us from Tomball High School where she currently serves as the Assistant Director of theatre. While at Tomball High School, she has proudly coached students to state-level placement in UIL Theatrical Design and consistently propels student success through the competitive UIL One Act Play process and annual season of productions.  She brings to Tomball West her extensive experience in directing, performance, and design, with a strong emphasis on cultivating both artistic excellence and student leadership. She attended Stephen F. Austin State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in theatre and was recognized for outstanding achievement.

Through strategic planning, strong organizational leadership, and a commitment to high expectations, she has cultivated programs that emphasize excellence in student achievement. Guided by a learner-centered philosophy and a strong belief in the impact of theatre education, she empowers students to think critically, grow in confidence, and build a lasting legacy of excellence within their school and community. As the inaugural Theatre Director at Tomball West, Mrs. Hearn is enthusiastic about establishing a dynamic program grounded in academic rigor, creativity, and meaningful collaboration opportunities for young artists.

Jason Smith | Gold Rush Band

Jason Andrew Smith is a Grammy award–recognized music educator with eighteen years of experience leading band programs in the Houston area. He currently serves as the Director of Bands at Spring High School and is thrilled to be named the inaugural band director of the Tomball West Gold Rush Band! Under his leadership, his ensembles have earned consistent superior ratings at UIL contests, advanced to the UIL Area and State marching band competitions, earned finalist honors at Bands of America, US Bands and locally sponsored marching competitions, medaled at the UIL State Instrumental Chamber Music Contest, and have been invited to perform at prestigious events such as the Midwest Clinic, the Music for All National Concert Festival, the Coltman Chamber Music Competition, and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. 

Mr. Smith began his career in Clear Creek ISD and has served the Spring High School community since 2012. He is passionate about building a positive, student-centered culture focused on music excellence, teamwork, school spirit, and fostering an environment for students to thrive. Mr. Smith is excited to contribute his expertise and passion for teaching to building the ‘Gold Standard of Excellence’ in the Tomball West community. 

A native Houstonian, and graduate of the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, Mr. Smith remains active as a clinician and performer. He is an active member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity and has been an invited clinician at conferences of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and The Midwest Clinic. 

Mr. Smith is tirelessly supported by his amazing wife and daughter who will be two of the biggest fans of the Gold Rush Band!