On Friday, Temple High School coach Chris Van Cleave announced via Twitter that he was named the head boys track and field coach at Rockdale High School.
A graduate of Little River-Academy, Van Cleave was looking to get back to a similar-sized area.
“I’m from a small town,” Van Cleave said. “So getting back to a smaller community eventually has been something I was interested in.”
When the position became vacant last month, Van Cleave said it immediately caught his attention.
“Obviously a place like Rockdale has a tradition-rich program in football and track specifically,” he said. “When the job posted, it sparked my interest.”
“Once I met with coaches (Jacob) Campsey and (Ryan) Montalvo, I knew it was a great fit for me and my family,” Van Cleave said.
Also slated to coach defensive backs for the Tigers, Van Cleave says he can’t wait for football season.
“I’m excited for the fall,” Van Cleave said. “I’ve already been (to Rockdale) a couple of times this spring to get rolling with the defensive backs and getting to meet the kids.”
“On the track front, it excites me to keep a good tradition going,” he said. “Coach (Lewis) Edmonson did a great job with those guys. I’ve also taken two years off from leading a track program, so it will be nice to do that again.”
Van Cleave has also had stops in Bruceville-Eddy, Robinson, Honey Grove, Harker Heights and Ganado. He is a 2009 graduate of the University of North Texas.
He takes over for Edmonson after he announced via social media earlier this month that he was leaving Rockdale.
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