We all thought silly season was done, right? Well nope, as Jeremy Coker announced that he was leaving Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing—where he was the 450 team manager—to head to Triumph to run their off-road program as general manager of Triumph Racing America. I called up Coker to find more about the new deal, why he left Star Racing, and more. And check out the full interview in the podcast embedded at the bottom of this post.
Racer X Online: You thought silly season was over in the sport of supercross and motocross, but it’s not. Coker, I got to say man, I was really surprised to hear the news. Can you explain why you did this?
Jeremy Coker: Yeah, absolutely. I’m getting to a point in my career and also in my life with two young kids and a wife, and it’s no secret that this sport is pretty taxing on traveling and being away from home. So, it was time for me to start thinking about and looking to make a change of still staying in it but limit the travel as much as I can. This opportunity kind of threw itself in front of me. I didn’t really know what it was, so of course I took the chance, took the interviews. It turned out being a completely different position than I actually thought it was, and probably different position that most people are assuming right now that I’m taking.
My title is considered a general manager of Triumph Racing. So, by no means did I make a lateral move coming from managing a 450 race team to what people may think of I’m just moving to manage another race team. That’s not the role. What I also feel is it’s also next in the career path that I was taking from being a mechanic to a crew chief to a manager, and what’s after that? You kind of ask yourself. Now moving into a way more corporate level position with way less traveling, the other things that come along with a corporate job -- vacations and stuff like that. I don’t even really know how to spell vacation. It’s just a whole new step, I think, in life. It will take a little bit of adjusting. That’s why I made the move. It was just time for me to be able to watch my kids grow up.
Certainly understandable. I talked to a guy that’s pretty close to you about this move. I was saying, can he get the same sort of off-the-road benefits at Star, and this person just laughed. So really not a way to do that there at Star Racing, to do what you’re doing here, right?
Yeah. Even if Star was to offer me, you can stay here, be the team manager, do your same job and you don’t have to travel, to me that wouldn’t be fair to them for me to take that position. I don't think that in the role that I was in, the 450 team manager, you can’t properly do your job, that particular job, without traveling, without attending those races. So I wouldn’t have taken that opportunity because it wouldn’t have been something that I could give 100 percent to.
I’m guessing this came up with the decision of Triumph to part ways with Bobby Hewitt? This is why it’s December and it’s happening? Triumph was kind of looking for somebody to fill that role?
Yeah, and at the same time, it’s not the same role. Not even close to the same role. It was a completely different situation between what Triumph was and what Triumph Racing is now. Triumph Racing, when Bobby Hewitt was involved, was Triumph funded Bobby Hewitt to run and operate a race team, similar to what I would say Yamaha does for Star Racing. Now they have taking it in-house, everybody on the race team is a Triumph employee now. So they had to create a general manager position to oversee that from the corporate level. That’s kind of what they hired me as. The position at the same time, they need to grow. They have to introduce an amateur racing program, a contingency program, a GNCC program. All these things that every other manufacturer has. That’s going to be a big part of my job, is to start creating these other parts of racing.
So, it will be new to me as well. I’ve never really been down those roads. On the amateur level, no problem. I’ve got that under control. But when you get to the GNCC and stuff like that… So, it will be a really cool learning experience for me as well. On top of that, you throw in a 450. So, a lot of learning for me and them at the same time. But I think they have the faith in me that I have enough knowledge and experience to guide them the correct direction.
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Tue Nov 5 Triumph Reveals 2025 TF 250-X: “New Optimized Fuel Maps, Refreshed Graphics, and Competitive New Price” I knew this job involved less travel, but I didn’t realize it involved all of that stuff. That’s a really cool deal. This sounds like a great opportunity to affect a lot of things that Triumph touches. That’s awesome.
A hundred percent. It’s a cool position. This position is something that every other manufacturer has. It’s the Brandon Wilson of Honda. It’s something that they needed and it’s cool that they went and did it.
Are you going to be based out of Atlanta or out by the facility?
I’m going to be based where I’m needed. I would say the immediate future right now is at the facility. There’s so many things that need to be really focused on for the current 250 race team. Because it’s such a new motorcycle that they’re still in process of developing the parts, making sure the parts are good. The communication aspect from the team to the UK is something that really needs to be focused on for the immediate future, and then also with the launch of the 450. So, in my opinion, I would say the next three or four months really need to be focused on what we’ll call the SMX program, SuperMotocross program, and make sure that that’s up and rolling properly. Then we’ll transition our focus into the next path. So currently I would say I’m going to be probably 85 percent at the facility, and then I’ll go to the headquarters one or two days a week to make sure on that aspect.
Like you said, amateur program and GNCC and things like that that have to roll along for it. It’s going to be a pretty exciting time for you. Did they kind of headhunt you? Did you hear about them looking for somebody? How did that come together?
They fully came to me. I didn’t reach out one bit. I think they were reaching out to multiple people. I wasn’t just the only person that they reached out to. It was a pretty big process for them to try to find the right person. I think there was maybe at the final stage of the interview maybe four of us. It happened very fast. I found out about the opportunity I think on a Thursday, and I was here on Tuesday. So, what I keep telling everybody today, we’re in my opinion 15 days from Anaheim because the truck has got to be loaded, the truck has got to be gone. So, it might be realistically longer, but they also realize that we got to do something now, because we got to have this strong showing at Anaheim. So, they acted quickly. I think one of the bosses that I was talking to said this was probably the fastest hire in Triumph history. It’s something that they knew they needed.
Obviously, you know as a manager, December, any hesitation on your part just because you helped build the Star program? It’s late, for sure. Bobby [Regan], You got to do what’s right for your family, and this sounds like a great opportunity, but it puts them in a bit of a bind. I’m sure you feel a bit bad about that.
Yeah, of course. It’s not good timing. At the same time, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now if it wasn’t for Brad and Bobby. What they’ve groomed me to do, what they’ve pushed me to become, the man I am today, all of that I give them 100 percent of that credit. So it was very hard to make this decision at this time of year, but at the same time, it didn’t happen on purpose. It just so happened that I was well prepared for the race season at Star, and everything was lined up. Everything was done. The truck could leave yesterday. So I didn’t leave them in a void that needed to be filled for Anaheim. And at the same time, I don't know if it’s going to happen, but I made a suggestion that I have somebody that could fill my shoes immediately who’s been by my side for the last couple years in Rich Simmons. It would be in my opinion a flawless transition. Nothing would change. So I hope that’s the route they can go down, because it won’t affect anything. But a complete bummer because it was a not easy decision. Like you said, it came down to a very family focused decision.
[Editor’s note: We’ve heard since this interview that Star did decide to go with Simmons as 450 team manager]
So, when you told Brad [Hoffman] or Bobby first, how did they react? Did they try to throw money at you? How was that conversation?
Actually very respectful from both of them. I was definitely scared. I didn’t know which side of them would come out. It was kind of one of those things. I didn’t want to do it, and then I finally told myself, you just got to rip the damn band aid off. So, I sat down and I made the phone call. I talked to them. It went good. Brad definitely asked, is there anything I can do to make this work? And I just had to be honest that I don’t think there is and I need to make this move. It was the kind of thing I told both of them I would never disrespect any of you guys in a conversation to anybody. You guys did nothing but good for me and I hope it could be the same the opposite way. So in my opinion it was a good departure. As we all know, it’s such a small industry that you never want to leave on bad terms.
"Scuba" Steve Westfall, he’s the manager there on the SMX team. Did you have any relationship with him beforehand? Did you know him at all? You’re going to work closely with him, obviously.
Yeah. We actually have a really good relationship. I was telling all the executives here when we were talking. For many years, Scuba and I stood shoulder to shoulder in the mechanics area standing on a stand as crew chiefs. Always have been really, really close and communicated well. I knew him personally, and that was always a good situation. I never knew his philosophies or how he operated. So, I didn’t know exactly what it was going to walk into. I’ve been here now for almost two days, and everything that I say should be done, he says the exact same thing. So, I feel like we both really do have the same philosophy and same ideas. I do not see us butting heads, which I think is a really good thing.
How long were you at Star for?
Twelve seasons, but I think it was eleven years.
I think the answer is pretty obvious, but what are you most proud of, of your work there?
I would have to say obviously the most proud, being involved in the 14 championships that I was around for when it happened. Just the crew that we were able to assemble and the people that were around me and the riders that I got to work with. It was never, ever a drama, in my opinion. It was a really well-oiled wheel that just worked itself out, especially on this 450 program that we were able to assemble. I would say the most proud thing I’ve ever done there was the success behind the 450 program.
That was my obvious answer because I was at Yamaha for a while, and they floundered. They couldn’t get it going. They couldn’t get the riders. They couldn’t get the bikes. They gave it to you guys, and you started winning. With the backwards motor bike that people didn’t want. You guys won on it, and won a lot. Hired great riders. In a way, it just made Yamaha look a little worse, the corporate side of Yamaha. That’s all. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Just look at your success on that 450. That’s a real tip of the visor to you guys.
Yeah. I couldn’t say it any better. It was a big, big task and a big challenge when it got handed to us, and we knew that, and we accepted it. We knew what we needed to go win. I feel like that’s what I’m being handed again. I’m being handed a huge, huge task that nobody knows can it be done. Nobody knows this motorcycle. The same thing when the 450 comes out. It’s going to be another huge task. I feel like I was able to accomplish it once, and I really want to accomplish that again because it’s such a cool feeling. So, that was a really big part I think of my decision as well. I get to do this again.
In my eyes, Bobby leaving before the end of the year, and [Joey] Savatgy leaving before SMX, the Evan Ferry thing… As much as Triumph hit it out of the park with some good results, with a brand-new motorcycle, there were also some things going on obviously behind the scenes where things are in flux and people are coming and going. I’m sure you want to stop that. There are some great people there and a great program and there’s money invested. To me, hiring you kind of says, “This is our guy that’s going to stop this flux of people coming and going.”
Yeah, I couldn’t agree with you any more. I think maybe part of that was you really have to believe in these people that they’re going to deliver. Maybe a little bit of those people that have left were maybe a little bit impatient. These people, these executives, this Triumph brand, they’ve never done this before. So, if they don’t have the right people guiding and steering them and the people that have done it before, like us that came from other race teams… You have to have the patience, and you have to have the good way to talk to them to explain why. “Hey, I don’t think that’s going to work.” You can’t just say that. You have to have the why and a solution. So I think maybe part of the departures that we all saw from the outside looking in, and the issues we all saw from the outside looking in, was a lot of just not patient enough, not the proper communication. That was one thing I kind of hammered on them in this process of me coming here. That’s one thing they better be ready for from me. I don’t and I will not take no for an answer, but I won’t steer them wrong. They have to trust me and I have to trust them. That’s going to be something that I think we both have to gain. We both have to believe in each other. If we do that, I do truly believe that we can build something special. Especially because it is such a blank canvas still. The program is. So, I couldn’t respect them any more for believing in me, trusting me, and bringing me on to try to paint their blank canvas. I’m definitely looking forward to it.
So obviously things can change and who knows, but how many races do you think you’ll go to? What do you think, looking from the outside? Just what do you guess?
I think this first year it’s going to be a little bit more than what I anticipate on. What do we have, 31 races? This year in my opinion, probably 15. In the future I’d like to be more down to five or six, something like that. But even 15 is pretty nice.
Nice to start with Jordon [Smith] and Stilez [Robertson], a couple guys you know well, you had over there. So, it will be easy to get integrated with the riders a little bit.
Yeah, tomorrow will be the first day. We just had a big team dinner tonight with all of them. I didn’t need to introduce myself to most of them. It is a good thing for me to be joining this new program - I didn’t get to spend too much time with Stilez on the bike in the past, but I’ve spent a lot of time with Jordon on the bike. So, it makes it easier for me because I can relate things that he’s saying and I can really bounce, “What about that compared to that?” I think that will really help the development and it will allow us to make quick changes, because we both are coming from the same bike. So, when we talk to each other it’s going to be a really good and easy situation.
You had a lot of success. Everybody gets to that point. It sounds like this is a great opportunity. I thought it was more going to be overseeing of the SMX team only, but this sounds like a blank canvas, like you mentioned. Really good for you. That’s awesome.
I appreciate it. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a nice challenge, but I’m always up for a good challenge.
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