Moving on Up
Darren Chandler hired as Deer Park Athletic Director
Josh Koch
Mar 22, 2018, 4:09 pm
It has been a whirlwind few weeks for Deer Park boys basketball coach Darren Chandler.
First, Chandler is not even a month removed from leading Deer Park boys basketball on its deepest playoff run in 40 years, reaching the Regional Tournament.
Now the 15-year head coach is getting to do something he has wanted to do for a while now – serve as an athletic director.
On Monday, Chandler was officially hired as the next Deer Park ISD Athletic Director replacing the retiring Jerry Creel.
“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” Chandler said. “It’s hard to believe. First of all I’m going to miss the heck out of coaching. The day-to-day interaction with the athletes and I love the teaching part of the job too. But being the athletic director that’s just something I’ve always wanted to do. The opportunity presented itself in a great district, a one high school town with a 6A school.
“It’s just a dream job.”
Chandler will work with Creel for the next few months until fully taking over on July 1.
Chandler exits a Deer Park basketball program which got progressively better each year under his guidance.
In his first season, 2014-2015, the Deer won just eight games. This last season, the Deer racked up 30 wins and reached the Region III-6A Semifinals. Chandler leaves with a record of 75-60 in four years as the head coach of Deer Park.
Chandler has been in coaching for 22 years and 15 as a head coach. The last four have been as the head coach of Deer Park.
Accepting this job feels like his career has come full circle, Chandler said because he started his coaching career with Deer Park ISD in 1994 as an assistant coach at Bonnette Junior High.
Chandler graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1994.
VYPE Houston caught up with Chandler on Tuesday afternoon. Listen below to the entire interview with the new Athletic Director of Deer Park ISD.
https://soundcloud.com/tjames34/new-deer-park-athletic-director-darren-chandler
Cam Smith hit a three-run homer in his first game against the Cubs since being traded to Houston and Brandon Walter threw six solid innings in his first MLB victory as the Astros beat Chicago 7-4 on Friday night.
THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER.#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/xZ9dvfZYTs
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 28, 2025
Yainer Diaz added a three-run homer as AL West-leading Houston extended its winning streak to five games.
3-run Yainer Bomb!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/4zku17xsR0
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 28, 2025
The Astros scored four runs in the third off Cubs starter Cade Horton (3-2), with Jose Altuve scoring on a sacrifice fly by Victor Caratini before Diaz capped the inning with his 377-foot shot to left-center.
Smith, a first-round draft selection by Chicago last year was acquired by the Astros in the offseason as part of the deal for Kyle Tucker, extended Houston’s lead to 7-0 in the fourth with his home run off the left field façade, his sixth of the season. Smith had two hits and scored two runs.
Walter (1-1), a 28-year-old left-hander, allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts. Josh Hader got the final out for his 22nd save.
Jeremy Peña exited in the fifth with left rib soreness. He was hit by a pitch in his left side in the second. There was no immediate word on the extent of his injury.
Nico Hoerner hit a solo home run in the fifth, and Matt Shaw added a two-run double in the seventh and an RBI double in the ninth for NL Central-leading Chicago.
Horton allowed seven runs on eight hits with four walks in four innings.
Tucker was hitless in his return to Houston. He kept the game scoreless in the first, throwing Isaac Paredes out at the plate to end the frame.
Hader inducing a lineout to center by Ian Happ to end it with Tucker, representing the tying run, on deck.
Houston has its second five-game winning streak for the month of June, and improved to an MLB-best 18-6 this month.
Cubs RHP Colin Rea (4-3, 4.42 ERA) starts the second game of the three-game series Saturday. Houston has not named a starter.