VYPE: When did you take over as AD, and what was your professional background prior to this position?
T.W. Brandenberger: I began as the AD in 2023, prior to that I was a teacher and coach at Putnam City West High School for sixteen years. I coached baseball, football, softball, and basketball over the last 25 years.
VYPE: What is new in the athletic department, and are there any plans for future developments?
TB: We are focusing on preparing our student athletes to have success in their future endeavors. We have added swim and have grown all of our minor sports programs giving more opportunities to as many students as possible. Our district goal is 50% athletic participation by the year 2030.
VYPE: Why is community support essential to an athletic department?
TB: Community support is vital in not only continuing success, but in building our student athletes up to be the best they can be. We have partnered with several local businesses to provide support for our programs.
VYPE: What should parents of incoming freshmen know as their student-athletes prepare to compete at the varsity level?
TB: Incoming student athletes need to know that high school sports is a commitment, not only to the team, but in aspects of time and length of seasons. Our student athletes typically have better attendance and grades throughout their time at U.S. Grant.
VYPE: Which community partners and sponsors have supported your student-athletes this season?
TB: We have had great support from Lopez Foods, TS McDonalds at 59th and S. Pennsylvania, Canes Chicken Fingers I-240 and Pennsylvania, Metro-Tech, Delta Dental, Colbert Cooper and Hill Attorneys, Medrano Immigration Law, and various individual alumni.
VYPE: Given the changing landscape of high school athletics, what is your perspective on the current state of prep sports in Oklahoma, and how can the experience be improved for students?
TB: The current landscape has its own challenges. Student athletes today are pulled in multiple directions and have multiple distractions. Our job as leaders in education based athletics is to minimize the noise and provide the student athletes with the best experience they can have.
VYPE: What is the biggest challenge you face as an athletic director in 2026?
TB: The biggest challenge I see is creating a culture of student body participation at events.
VYPE: How do you enjoy spending your free time away from school?
TB: Well, with the minimal amount of time I have away from events I spend it watching my kids compete in college. My son Jakob is a graduate transfer at East Central University playing baseball and my daughter Josie is on the Stunt team at the University of Central Arkansas.
VYPE: What advice would you give to a first-time athletic director taking over a program?
TB: The best advice I can give a new athletic director is to listen, observe, and fix the areas that are immediate.
VYPE: What is your message to the senior class of 2026, and what would you like returning students to know?
TB: When you embark on your future, reflect on the lesson you have learned as a student athlete, do the next right thing, and breathe.
