Klein Bearkat Baseball Coaches

Coach Biographies

Meet the Coaches

Head Coach

Barry Smith

Coach Barry Smith is in his 23rd year of coaching at Klein High School , and begins his 13th season as head coach of the Klein Bearkat baseball team in 2010. Under Coach Smith, the Bearkats have been the State Champions in 1998, State Semi-finalists (2001, 1998), Regional Champions (2001, 1998), Regional Finalists (2001, 1999, 1998), Area Champions (2001, 1999, 1998), Area Finalists (2001, 1999, 1998), Bi-district Champions (2003, 2001, 1999, 1998), District Champions (2008, 2001, 1999, 1998), and District Runner-up (2005, 2004, and 2003).

Coach Smith graduated from El Campo High School where his team won the State Championship in 1982. During that year, he led his team in batting average, homeruns and pitched 147 innings to have a 16-4 record with 4 saves. At the state tournament, he was the winning pitcher in both the semi-final and the championship games and was named first team All-State pitcher. He received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Texas A&M in 1987 where he was a four year letterman, and voted captain of the team his senior year. He was also a member of the 1986 SWC Baseball Championship team.

Coach Smith was named the Chronicle’s “All-Greater Houston Coach of the Year” and the Baseball Sportswriter “Regional Coach of the Year in 1998. In 2001, Coach Smith was awarded the Ray Knoblauch Coach of the Year Award. He has been named the District 16-5A Coach of the Year in 2001, 1999, and in 1998.

During his years at Klein High School , Coach Smith has had the opportunity to work with many great athletes. He has coached players that have gone on to play Major League Baseball, and many others that have gone on to be successful college players. Coach Smith has teamed up with Coach Dale Westmoreland (Magnolia) and Coach Kent Meador (Klein Collins) to start Promesa Baseball, an organization designed to teach fundamentals to the area youth baseball leagues.

Coach Smith and his wife Phyllis have four sons, Andrew, Adam, Aaron, and Alex.

Varsity Assistant Coach

David Laich

Coach David Laich is very excited about coming out of retirement to
coach the Bearkats. Coach Laich began his coaching career in 1972 at
Spring High School. In 1981 he moved to Westfield High School as a
varsity assistant in football and baseball. In 1987 he became the head
baseball coach at Westfield. Three of his teams won district titles.
He was named district "coach of the year" in 1988 and 1994. He begins
the 2010 season with a varsity coaching record of 490 wins and 276
losses. Over the years he has coached over 60 players that have gone on
to play college ball, 12 all state players, 12 Texas All Stars and 20
that have been drafted by progessional teams. This will be Coach
Laich's thirteenth year at Klein. He coaches hitting and infielders.
Coach Laich and his bride of 36 years have two grown children and five
grandchildren. Be sure to ask "Memaw" about them when you see her at
the games.

Jr. Varsity Coach

Joel Reichling

Coaching the Junior Varsity team this season is Joel Reichling. This will make it his ninth year coaching the JV squad. It is also his ninth year coaching and teaching at Klein after spending one year in San Antonio at Robert E. Lee High School.
He graduated from Klein in 1995 and played both football and baseball for the Kats. Here he played free-safety and pitched. After high school, he went on to Trinity University and was a four-year letterman in football and baseball. Coach Reichling reflects fondly back on those years; becoming back to back National Semi-Finalists in football in 1998 and 1999. In baseball, he was voted team captain his senior year and helped win the conference championship in 1999. He graduated with a degree in History/Social Studies and stayed at Trinity in order to earn his Masters degree in Education. Coach Reichling is now putting all this to work teaching Government and Economics.
His biggest and most prized accolade includes building a successful family. Joel married his beautiful wife, Sarah, six years ago and they now have three precious daughters. Anna is four years old and Abigail is two. The most recent addition is baby Ashley, born this January. Outside of school, Joel and Sarah enjoy serving and honoring their Lord through various church ministries or bible studies. They also enjoy camping, traveling, and simply spending time together as a family.

Sophomore Coach

Tony Suarez

Coach Suarez is back to lead the sophomore team in 2010.This is his seventh year at Klein and as part of the Bearkat Baseball Program.

Coach Suarez graduated from St. Pius X High School in 1982, where he was a 3 sport letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. Short on talent but long on ambition, he continued his education at Sam Houston State University . He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and PE and also competed in power lifting. He later got his Master’s degree from Prairie View A&M University. Coach began his career at Klein Intermediate in 1986.After several years there; he chased his aspirations to be at the high school level. Landing a job at Nimitz High School in 1990, he spent the next 12 years in Aldine ISD. During that time he coached football, basketball and baseball.

Moving closer to home, he returned to KISD at Kleb Intermediate in 2001.He spent two years there coaching and teaching before coming to KHS in 2003. He teaches Biology and also coaches freshman football. He feels very fortunate to be a part of Coach Smith’s staff.

When not in the classroom or on the field, he likes to spend time with his children, Andy and Natalie. He likes to ride motorcycles, skydive, and is hoping to spend more time traveling, snorkeling and SCUBA diving.