Piedra Vista baseball coach Jeff Kiraly killed in Colorado motorcycle crash
Special to the Times | Lee Begaye
Piedra Vista High School head baseball coach Jeff Kiraly smiles May 16 after the Panthers win the 2026 NMAA Class 5A state championship at the University of New Mexico’s Lobo Baseball Field in Albuquerque.
WINDOW ROCK
Piedra Vista High School head baseball coach Jeff Kiraly, who led the Panthers to the 2026 Class 5A state championship, was killed Friday in a motorcycle crash on Coal Bank Pass between Durango and Silverton, Colorado. He was 53.
The crash was reported shortly before 2 p.m. near milepost 55 on U.S. Highway 550, north of Purgatory Resort. Colorado State Patrol Trooper Hunter Mathews told the Durango Herald that Kiraly was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other rider, a 73-year-old Texas man, was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The cause remained under investigation.
Piedra Vista High School announced Kiraly’s death Saturday in a message posted on its website.
“Coach Kiraly’s impact on our students, staff, and broader community was immeasurable, and his loss will be felt for a long time to come,” the school stated. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, students, colleagues, and friends during this difficult time.”
Kiraly was born May 16, 1973, in Albuquerque and attended La Cueva High School, where he played first base. He was named the 1990-91 Gatorade New Mexico High School Baseball Player of the Year.
The New York Mets selected Kiraly in the third round with the 95th overall pick in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. He played in the Mets’ minor league system and later played independent baseball.
Kiraly later joined Piedra Vista coach Mike McGaha’s staff as an assistant. He became the Panthers’ head coach in June 2018 after two seasons as an assistant.
Piedra Vista finished 27-4 this spring and defeated Cleveland 10-0 in the Class 5A championship game May 16 in Albuquerque. The victory gave the Panthers its fifth state baseball title and first since 2014.
The championship came on Kiraly’s 53rd birthday. After the game, he compared the title with the honors he received during his playing career.
“All those awards were when I was a player,” Kiraly said. “But this one is the best feeling, to be with these players and this team since 2018. I’m blessed to be a part of this team.”
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