Joe Breedlove ’78 Steps Off Court

by Ben Vaughn

Reprinted from the Falcon Quill

FWCD varsity basketball was coming off a successful 2024-25 season. Their 18-10 record was the School’s best since the 2016-17 season, and all of the JV and Middle School teams had winning records as well. The varsity team was led by Head Coach Joe Breedlove ’78, who also is the Executive Director of Breakthrough Fort Worth. Then, shortly after the end of the season, Coach Breedlove announced he was stepping down after over 30 years as the Varsity Head Coach. Rewind to 1975. Joe, a sophomore in the FWCD Upper School, is sitting in the brand new Bass Upper School building, taking a typing class. Little does he know that very room will be his office one day. As part of his visit to the School during the admission process, he is taken to a track event at Greenhill, where he makes a new friend who ultimately becomes his brother-in-law. During the winter athletics season, he steps onto the court to play basketball, not knowing that he would later become the face of that program.

At that time, he was just a student-athlete at FWCD. He had just moved to Country Day from public school, and his younger brother, Stephon ’79, joined him two years later as a rising junior. Their parents understood the value of a college education and made sacrifices to send their children to a good college-preparatory school. Stephon was completely blind after contracting glaucoma at age 4, and FWCD was one of the only private schools that would accommodate him.

“My dad worked hard, and he was smart. He excelled in the construction field, working long hours and educating himself in the industry. Now that I am an educator, I like to say ‘much like my father … I have had the chance to excel in constructing young people’s lives,’” Joe said.

Alongside both parents in the household, the Breedlove boys had their maternal great-grandmother living with them, who was another big influence in their lives. “I was fortunate that my great-grandmother lived with us,” Joe said. “My mom’s mom had passed away when she was 12, and so she was pretty much raised by her. Growing up, she basically lived with us in the house the entire time. It’s amazing how you’re able to pick up certain things that stick with you, and she only had a middle school education. […] she would watch me receive these trophies and awards, and she would say, ‘You’ve got to have something in your head, because you can’t always outrun Jesus on Fridays and Saturdays!’”

His parents made it clear that education was always prioritized over sports. Joe played football, basketball and track, but still maintained good grades. Stephon did the same and was the star on the wrestling team. Joe and Stephon both had a passion for sports, and they found the best way to tune in to games was to listen on the radio. Joe said that he still loves to listen to games as much as he enjoys watching them.

The Breedloves were lucky to play for some of the best sports teams FWCD has ever seen. “We were blessed to have some good teams during that time period,” Joe said. “I played on two undefeated football teams, and my whole career in high school, I only lost two games. As for basketball, we won two SPC Championships during a three-year period. Senior year, we were 33-3 and won the championship, and we were the first team in School history to win the track & field championship.”

Despite all the wins, Joe insists that something else was more important. “That was pretty fun, and you know, those stories and accolades, they tarnish and sometimes get embellished. But the friendships you garner and develop are priceless,” he said. Joe graduated from FWCD in 1978 and decided to stay local by attending Texas Christian University as a business major. Additionally, he was a walk-on for the TCU football team. He was redshirted during his freshman season, which means he retained his four seasons of eligibility.

Joe worked hard to earn a place on the team. When the special teams unit went out to practice early, he volunteered to field punts and kicks. Despite being an all-SPC halfback at Country Day, he wasn’t quite built for it at a collegiate level. “They used to tell me that I weighed a buck 0’five,” Joe said. He played wide receiver instead.

In his sophomore year (1980), Joe remembered being called into the coach’s office. “He sat me down and started with ‘Joe, we’re moving you to another position here.’ I was playing wide receiver at the time, and I’m thinking I’m not gonna be able to stay on the team. Then he goes, ‘We’re gonna give you a scholarship.’ I cried. And called my parents. My dad was working, so I called my mom, and she started clapping and crying, enjoying that peace,” Joe said.

As a defensive back, Joe and the TCU team were preparing for the 1980 season. During the walkthrough before a game, the player ahead of Joe went down with a knee injury. All of a sudden, Joe was the starter, and he played all 11 games of the season. He even recorded an interception.

Joe especially remembers one game in that 1980 season when the Frogs played the soon-to-be National Champion Georgia Bulldogs. One of the Bulldogs’ stars was dynamic running back Herschel Walker.

“My claim to fame […] which I think you guys will appreciate, and you can probably pull it up in an ESPN highlight … so [Walker] gets the ball, breaks through his man. I run at him, and I am not afraid. I get to him, and well, he’s so powerful and so strong, I’m projectiled into the air as he pushes me out of bounds. So, it’s one of those things where it’s a highlight for me, but I suppose some folks would call it a lowlight,” Joe laughed. Although his efforts were not entirely in vain, he later had an interception.

Despite the team’s lack of success during that time, Joe enjoyed being on the team. He also joined the TCU track team, which achieved greater success. He was a local hero, and he recalls seeing many of his friends cheering for him from the stands. Being so close to his former high school, Joe volunteered to coach an FWCD sixth grade basketball program in the spring. His coaching career was off.

“Lo and behold, 39 years later, I’m still here,” Joe said.

While he was busy, Joe worked hard to maintain good grades. “I did not want to be stereotyped as a dumb jock,” Joe said. He completed his undergraduate degree in four years and then returned to TCU to pursue a graduate degree. Luckily, at the same time, a full-time position as an Assistant Coach opened at FWCD. Joe enjoyed this job and thought it was extra fun to be working alongside the coaches who had coached him just a few years prior. It still was a lot of work.

“Back then, we coached three seasons,” he said. “Both middle and high school, and we taught six classes of PE.”

After a few years of this, Joe got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had gotten to know champion tennis player Martina Navratilova, who asked Joe to be her personal trainer. In 1986, she asked him to accompany her on a tour. He accepted, joining Navratilova’s team, and, for four years, they traveled out of state for roughly 50 weeks of the year. Joe realized that this wasn’t what he wanted to do forever. “While it can look glamorous on the outside, it is tough, tough […] You know when it’s time to make a change,” he said. In 1990, Navratilova and Joe agreed that he would step away from the team and stay in Fort Worth.

Luckily, a position had just opened up – guess where? – Fort Worth Country Day. Joe returned as the Head Coach of the boys and girls track teams, remaining as an assistant for other sports. He recalled that most of the coaches were teachercoaches, but there were a few exceptions, like himself. A year later, in 1991, the Head Coach position for basketball opened. Joe was named the new Head Coach, and the rest is history.

Remembering that track meet at Greenhill while going through the FWCD admission visitation, Joe said he noticed one other black person participating in the meet. He was on the Greenhill side, so Joe went over to him to talk. After that initial conversation, the two became close friends, spending a lot of time together over the next couple of years. Joe soon got to know his friend’s little sister, Andrea. As young adults, Joe and Andrea began dating. Their first date was at the FWCD Homecoming Dance, where they served as chaperones.

When he tells the story, Joe says that everyone looks at him and asks, “You took her to a high school dance, and she still stayed with you?”

Sure enough, Andrea stuck with him. The two got married in 1993. Andrea initially had a job as an Intervention Counselor at hospitals, but her passion was in education. She went on to be a High School Counselor. The couple had two children: McKenna ’14 and Joseph ’17. Joseph is following in his father’s footsteps, becoming a PE Teacher and Coach at FWCD. To differentiate between the two Breedloves, students refer to the younger Coach Breedlove as “J.B.”

Family is especially important to Joe, and he is very close to his brother. He believes that a big lesson can be learned from everything Stephon has accomplished. “He found his niche in athletics, and he’s probably the greatest wrestler I know,” Joe said. “He went to The University of Texas, earned his law degree, and wrestled and was later named to the Texas Wrestling Hall of Fame. His wife also went to Texas and is blind. Together, they’ve raised two wonderful kids. […]

That’s why it’s tough for me to swallow and listen to someone talk about things they can’t do. Because for all my life, I’ve watched this individual … just soar while not being able to physically see.”

Joe got to coach his son in basketball, which was one of the most special parts of his coaching career. “It was great to coach Joseph,” he said. “I don’t know how much he liked it, but it was neat.” He also recalls his team back in 1992. He remembers that in the team’s first game, they didn’t score a single point in the first quarter. Fast forward, and that team was the SPC Champions for their division.

“I’ve been in school for most of my life, either as a student or as an educator,” Breedlove said. “I like the pace—just going, going, going, going all the time. That’s my thing. It’ll be tough sitting in the bleachers, but I’ll enjoy spending time with my family, making that more of a priority.”

Breedlove definitely leaves big shoes to fill for the next head coach. He has had a profound effect on the community. He has many memories with his players that will be looked back upon fondly. The seniors especially remember one fun trip to Callisburg. Breedlove also found a way to make his practices fun. One of his players’ favorite parts of practice was at the start, when he would provide an inspirational quote. Breedlove has been an inspiration with more than just his quotes.

“One of the most hard-working and caring people I know,” Jackson Bloemendal ’25 said. “Always shows up to school and practice with a smile on his face and happy to be there! He taught me to never back down from a challenge and strive to be the best version of yourself in everything you do!”

“I’ve known him since kindergarten,” Liam Kuperman ’28 said. “He helped me learn that you need to work for what you get on and off the court.”

“Breedlove has taught me to stay on my feet and never let anyone push me down,” Chase Hatfield ’28 said. “He is such a kind and thoughtful person. He puts others before himself.”

When asked about what he wanted to be remembered for, Breedlove said. “That I cared. I always say a legacy isn’t about what you leave for someone, it’s what you leave in someone. It’s about the person. Every day is a holiday, every meal is a banquet. I’m passionate about what I do […] And that I was a good teacher.”

All you have to do is look at all of the quotes from his players to be able to say… mission accomplished.

Luckily, Coach Breedlove will still be staying around the Country Day campus. He’ll continue his work as the Director of Breakthrough and will still be an assistant coach for track, so he’ll still be able to give his iconic “fire it up” chant at pep rallies. Though he may be stepping off the court, Coach Breedlove’s legacy will echo through the halls and hearts of Country Day for generations to come.