Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Clovis High School had some shuffling to do to replace a pair of veteran coaches.
Randy Adrian had been the school’s athletic director for 12 years and was the offensive and defensive line coach when he retired in the spring. Dale Fullerton, formerly the principal at Marshall Junior High who has taken over the AD duties, stepped down after his second stint as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator.
Assistant coach Darren Kelley, who previously worked with running backs and the secondary, has been elevated to defensive coordinator. Meantime, second-year coach Joaquin Garcia, who last season was the junior varsity offensive and defensive line coach, has moved up to fill Adrian’s coaching position.
“We definitely have big shoes to fill,” Garcia said. “It’s an honor for me to be asked to coach the offensive and defensive lines on the varsity.”
Clovis head coach Eric Roanhaus is entering his 26th season.
The Wildcats, who start practice Monday, will have one less varsity coach this year. Essentially, Kelley’s old duties will be divvied up elsewhere.
Other varsity assistants are Darrell Davis, who works with linebackers and the offensive line, and Pete Hurst, who coaches tight ends and defensive ends.
“It’ll definitely be a big job,” said Kelley, a CHS graduate who in his 13th season on the staff. “But it’ll be fun — it’s something I’ve been looking forward to all summer.
“Following Eddie (Kramer) and Dale, both of those guys did a great job. In reality, they’ve probably made it pretty easy for me because there’s not a lot you have to change.”
He concedes there’ll be more pressure in his new position. “That’ll be the biggest change — it’ll be my fault (an opponent scored) instead of somebody else’s,” Kelley said.
Garcia was hired last year after a two-year stint as West Las Vegas’ head coach.
“It’s a big honor for coach Roanhaus to ask me to move up,” Garcia said. “I’m looking forward to learning and following in coach Adrian’s footsteps. I’m following some pretty good coaches.”
He said Adrian will still be around to help him when necessary.
“Coach Adrian has offered to take me under his wing and help me out if I need it,” Garcia said. “I’m definitely going to continue to pick his brain.”
Fullerton said he, too, could call on Adrian and his predecessor, Brooks Jennings.
“I’ll definitely miss (coaching),” said Fullerton, who was first on Roanhaus’ staff from 1978-90, the last six years of that run as defensive coordinator. “I have a good time being around the coaches and kids. And the last three years we’ve had really good kids to be around.”
The “sub-varsity” (sophomores and JV) staff has also changed a bit, with Garcia moving up and Chad Roanhaus recently accepting the head coaching position at Las Vegas Robertson.
Cal Fullerton, Steve Speck and Ron Hubby return from last year, while joining that group will be CHS baseball coach Shane Shallenberger and Dan Kennedy, a former assistant coach at Dumas, Texas.