NMHSCA executive director Buster Mabrey dies at 57

On top of the many things Buster Mabrey was already involved with, the man was also looking to coach an eighth-grade basketball team.

His wife asked him why.

Because, he told her, they needed a coach.

“Buster was one of the hardest working individuals I’ve ever met in my life,” Lori Mabrey said. “A very driven human being.”

Mabrey, the longtime executive director of the New Mexico High School Coaches Association, a champion for coaches and kids alike, and one of the most influential figures in the state’s prep athletics scene, died early Monday morning at an Albuquerque hospital.

Mabrey was 57. He had been hospitalized for about the last seven weeks; he died of complications from being an undiagnosed diabetic, said his wife Lori.

“Buster was an advocate for students and education-based athletics and activities statewide,” New Mexico Activities Association executive director Dusty Young said. “His leadership, dedication, and service to New Mexico leaves a lasting impact on the many coaches and athletes whose lives he touched. He was a friend, mentor to many, and truly one of a kind. He will be greatly missed and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

Tributes to Mabrey, a 1985 Hobbs High graduate, poured in Monday morning and afternoon from coaches around the state, and also from other men and women who knew the gregarious, outgoing Mabrey and his impact around New Mexico, and the legacy he both paved and leaves behind.

“Buster was a force to be reckoned with – that’s for sure!” West Mesa High girls track and field coach Stephanie Davy said in a social media post on X. “He genuinely cared about all coaches and athletes across (New Mexico), not just the big names or the big programs. This is a truly devastating loss for (New Mexico) Athletics.”

Former University of New Mexico women’s basketball coach Yvonne Sanchez wrote, “Buster was an incredible man. He did a great deal for New Mexico Basketball and the Coaches Association. More importantly he was a phenomenal person and friend. We all are going to miss him immensely.”

John C. Barnes is a professor of sports administration at UNM.

“Buster was the kind of character that makes sport great,” he wrote on X. “Smart, funny, involved, and concerned about what is right and appropriate in high school sport. High school athletics in New Mexico just lost a true leader.”

Mabrey not long ago became Dr. Buster Mabrey. “He pursued his Ph.D, and he was very proud of being Dr. Thomas Mabrey,” his wife said. Mabrey earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Education, Sports and Exercise Science in 2023.

He had been the executive director of the NMHSCA for the last 16 years.

On the organization’s website Monday, Mabrey was described as “a truly remarkable man whose unwavering dedication and leadership left an indelible mark on the athletic community of New Mexico. Dr. Mabrey’s passion for coaches, student-athletes, and our athletic community will forever be remembered and cherished.”

The NMHSCA, led by Mabrey, supported and advocated fiercely for its coaches, and also is responsible for helping to gather and announce All-Star teams and events, and All-State selections in most major sports.

“He took a lot of pride in it, and he loved his job,” Lori Mabrey said.

Mabrey was trying to become a coach at Laguna Middle School just before his health crisis began, Lori Mabrey said.

“He had a heart of gold,” his wife said, fighting back tears. “He would do anything for kids or coaches.”

There will be a celebration of Mabrey’s life on Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albuquerque, Lori Mabrey said. Lori Mabrey is the head girls basketball coach at Rio Rancho High School, but has not yet coached any games this season as she has been at her husband’s side.

He became severely ill just under two months ago, and it came on suddenly, Lori Mabrey said.

Mabrey played varsity football and track and field at Hobbs. After a stint in the military, Mabrey later coached football at Mayfield High in Las Cruces alongside Hall of Famer Jim Bradley, and also coached in Snyder, Texas.

He was a former official and was once the athletic director at Piedra Vista High in Farmington. He also served for a spell on the NMAA staff when Dan Salzwedel was the executive director.

At the NMHSCA, Mabrey succeeded Bobby Gibbs, who left the position in 2008. Gibbs himself died just 2½ months ago.

“He did so much for coaches in this state,” Valley High boys basketball coach EZ Panas said of Mabrey.