By Moses Leos III
Of the memories Hays High alumnus Justin Montaña had of his former head coach David Null, one during his freshman year stood out the most.
At the time, Montaña and other teammates were consistently throwing balls into the ground during a drill. Null quickly stopped the drill and proceeded to give a baseball – and science – lesson.
“He said, ‘there’s this awesome new thing I need to tell you about. You’ve probably never heard of it. It’s called gravity,’” Montaña recalled Null saying. “I remember because I wasn’t sure to laugh yet, or if he was being serious. That stuck with me for a long time.”
For Montaña and many others, the passion and intensity Null had toward not only life, but also his students and baseball, is remembered after his sudden death Sunday. According to Hays County Precinct No. 4 Justice of the Peace Judge Terry Kyle, the cause and manner of Null's death is pending an autopsy.
According to his obituary, Null died "suddenly, but peacefully" in his sleep of a heart attack.
Hays High athletic coordinator Neal LaHue said Hays’ Tuesday game against Lake Travis was postponed following Null’s death. Varsity assistant coach James Howard will run the Rebel baseball program, with Jared Hinton as his first assistant.
Hays High Principal David Pierce said counselors from across Hays CISD were on campus Monday to provide support for students and staff. Pierce said counselors would be on campus for as long as they are needed.
Null, 54, worked as an A.P. Chemistry teacher and as the school’s head baseball coach, to which he was promoted in August 2012. He also worked as the school’s linebackers’ coach during football season.
LaHue recalled Null as passionate and hard working, along with being intense and “old school.” He said Null went above and beyond and that he put in the long hours.
“If he is going to do something, he is going to do something whole heartedly,” LaHue said.
He added Null was someone students responded to and players respected.
LaHue recalled Null keeping track of his players’ academic progress and talking to them about life off of the field.
But it was for baseball that Null held the most passion. LaHue said he showed it when he watched Null instruct a student on fielding ground balls.
“I saw that he’s passionate about this,” LaHue said. “Baseball is important to him and the way he was coaching that young man, it was interesting.”
Pierce said he was in shock “like everyone else” when he received the news of Null’s death Sunday.
Pierce also recalled Null’s intensity when the two talked for the first time about a job opening at Hays in 2009.
“He said, ‘My name is David Null … like null and void. I’m a baseball coach and science teacher, and I’d like to talk to you today,” Pierce said. “He was coming whether I said yes or no. That’s how he was.”
Pierce said, as an educator, Null had an impact on his students, saying he had a “good rapport with his kids.” Pierce said Null’s students knew he cared about them.
One student once told Pierce that Null pushed him as if he were “already in college.” The student said he “appreciated that” and that it was something the student “needed.”
Null understood teaching and coaching includes service leadership, Pierce said.
“He never ran from that responsibility and approached it with intensity,” he said.
Null was a second father for Montaña, like “no other coach that I had.” Montaña said Null often went out of his way to call him after practice if he felt he wasn’t feeling okay.
“It was way more than baseball for him. It was so much more,” Montaña said. “He loved the game, but he loved us more.”
While he was intense, Montaña said the intensity was how he showed he cared for his students.
But as intense was Null was, Montaña said he also had a lighter side as well. He showed that side when he started dancing while at a team outing in Driftwood.
“This guy, he’s got knee replacements and he’s out there having a great time,” Montaña said. “No matter, where he was, he was always having a great time.”
It was the lessons learned from Null, not just the ones on the diamond, that resonate with Montaña.
“I’ll take away how he taught me to be a great person in others lives, and to influence others,” Montaña said. “What he’s taught me, it will stay with me forever.”
A public memorial service for David Null will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Bales Gym.
A gofundme account was created by the Hays varsity baseball team family on behalf of the Null family.
