Photo: Jay Hinton
By Brian Gosset
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After a stellar 10-year run, building up Glen Rose football into one of the top Class 4A schools in the state, head coach Cliff Watkins is headed to Decatur to take on the same role. He was officially named head coach with a 6-0 vote during Monday night’s school board meeting.
“Leaving was a very hard decision. After 10 years, it means leaving behind a community that became family, athletes that poured their hearts out for you and a school that shaped so much of my family’s life. Glen Rose will forever hold a special place in our hearts,” he said.
Watkins came to Glen Rose before the 2016 season and took over a program that was coming off a 3-7 season and 1-5 in district.
During his first 3 seasons, the Tigers improved their win total going from 8 to 9 to 11 victories. The Tigers went 5-0 in 2016 to win the district championship – which began a historic run that continues to this day.
Glen Rose has won 10 straight district titles under Watkins, without dropping a game. The Tigers have won 46 straight games in district play. The first title in 2016 was the program’s first since 2009 and first outright since 2007.
Watkins posted a 92-36 overall record in 10 years with Glen Rose and took the program to the state semifinals in 2022 and 2023. In addition to his regular season success, Watkins led the Tigers past the first round of the playoffs 8 times and to the third round 6 times.
The Tigers went 13-2 in 2022 and battled toe-to-toe against state powerhouse Carthage before falling short 42-35 in the state semifinals. They returned to the semifinal round in 2023 – going 10-5 after falling to Gilmer.
A program that began in 1916, Glen Rose won 10 or more games just 4 times before Watkins’ arrival. In 10 years, Watkins won 10 or more games 5 times, including a record 13 wins in 2023. His 11-2 mark in 2018 is the second most wins all-time.
Prior to Glen Rose, Watkins coached Eastland for 2 seasons – going to the third round both times with a combined record of 22-5.
Watkins, who will serve as the athletic director at Decatur, replaces Steve Huff, who took a job in Oklahoma in April. Huff spent the previous 4 seasons with the Eagles, who went 8-4 last season. The Eagles won district titles in 2022 and 2023, both years reaching the state semifinals.
“Looking forward at continuing to build on their athletic success at Decatur and all the tradition that they have,” Watkins said.
Along with a new head coach and AD in Watkins, Decatur gets his oldest daughter Henley Watkins, a 2027 graduate. Henley Watkins, a 6-3 middle blocker committed to Lubbock Christian University, will join a Decatur volleyball program that won state titles the past 2 seasons.
Watkins helped lead Glen Rose volleyball the past 3 years where the Tigers averaged 28 wins during that span and won a district championship in 2024. Watkins was named to the 4A All-State team last season and voted District Middle Blocker Of The Year.
Decatur won 40+ games last season and defeated La Vernia on its way to back-to-back 4A D1 state titles. The Eagles beat Bellville to win state in 2024.
Photo: Melissa Stanton
