Coach Wilson was my history teacher at Clark High School, and the freshman basketball coach. When I was a high school football statistician for the Texas Sports Radio Network and Thursday Night Lights, I would often see him on the Clark and Churchill sidelines as a coach. Later on, he moved up as an Assistant Athletic Director for the Northside ISD. If I was working a game at Farris Stadium, he would always make a beeline for me to say hi!
Where are you from?
I grew up in Crane, Texas. A small town in west Texas.
How did you get the job at Clark High School?
I met Coach Robbins, the head football coach at Clark, at a benefit golf tournament in 1990. We grew up in the same small town. We won that tournament, and got to know each other. He offered me a job after I graduated from Angelo State.
I coached football, basketball, baseball, and track at Clark through the years. I did leave Clark in 1998 to work at Canyon HS in New Braunfels and then Churchill from 1999-2003.
I came back home to Clark under Coach Lloyd Alexander where I stayed until 2019.
I then worked as an Assistant Athletic Director for NISD until my retirement a few weeks ago. The irony of my job at the athletic office is that I took over the responsibilities of my best friend Kevin Hamilton. He retired in 2019. My main responsibilities were ordering all athletic equipment for our 21 Jr. High’s and 13 High School’s as well as taking care of all football games at Farris Stadium.
Tell me about some memorable players and games?
Clark will always be my home. I had great kids at every stop but Clark will always have a special place in my heart from my time there. So many great kids and adults that developed into life long friends.
So many games and players come to mind.
1995 team that lost to eventual State Champion Roosevelt in the closest game Roosevelt had all year.
2008 beating Austin Westlake in the Alamodome to advance to the State Semi-Finals! Too many incredible games to list them all.
The Players!
So blessed to have been apart of so many years with great kids. I could list hundreds. The biggest thrill as a coach was not in the wins but seeing these young people be successful down the road. Watching them be great at their profession, being great husbands and fathers is the real reward as a coach. I am absolutely blessed.
What will Rodney do now that he is retired?
I owe my wife a lot for allowing me to be away from home for so many days and nights. I just want to be a better husband and spend time with her. She may get tired of me.
We are moving to the beach and going to relax by fishing, paddle boarding, and playing golf.
Our daughter starts Veterinary School this fall so we also get to watch her become a Dr. which we are so proud of.
We will travel and see the world as we go, Barbados in July, Yellowstone in September, and a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field in October. A trip to Italy and Greece is being planned for next year. We will stay busy but on our time schedule.
