For Hunter Hamrick, a Bremond High School grad who went on to be an All-American punter at the University of Mary Hardin- Baylor, Central Texas feels like home. After being on the gulf coast for close to seven years, all he needed was a reason to come back.
Throw in the fact that he coached at Rockdale under Jeff Miller from 2012-2015 and left for his first head coaching job at Ingleside High School less than two years before the Tigers won a state championship, Hamrick had the itch to return to the region.
“I was in Lexington for a couple of years before coming to Rockdale,” he said. “So I kind of have a feel for the area.”
“But after coaching in Lexington where we were building it up, I took a coordinator position at a bigger school. Not too long after that, they made it to the state finals. When I was in Rockdale, we had some good runs, but then I left for Ingleside in 2016 and (Rockdale) won state in 2017.”
Since heading down to the coast to lead the Mustangs in the 2016 season, Hamrick has helped rapidly improve the Class 4A-II program. The team won only nine games in his first four seasons down south, but has gone 24-10 since the 2020 season with three consecutive playoff appearances.
However, when it was announced on Monday, Nov. 21, that Jacob Campsey was stepping down as Rockdale’s head football coach and athletic director, he felt as if it was time to make a move, and to also make it back home.
“I started talking with people around the program and there was definitely mutual interest,” he said. “The timing was just right.”
Early Monday afternoon was when the Rockdale Independent School district announced that Hamrick, who was the Tiger offensive coordinator during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, was named the new Tiger head football coach and athletic director.
“We are excited to welcome Coach Hamrick and his family back to Rockdale ISD,” Superintendent Denise Monzingo said via press release Monday. “His knowledge and experience as an athletic director, along with his ability to build relationships with students, staff and the community will be a tremendous asset for Rockdale.”
In addition to stops in Lexington and Ingleside, Hamrick has also coached at Los Fresnos, which is near Brownsville. He and his wife Morgan, who works as a special education teacher, have three children together Hayze, Hutch and Mabri.
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