The Elkhart athletic department didn’t have to look far for its new head man. In fact, it didn’t even have to leave Anderson County.
The EHS school board approved former Frankston head football coach Sam Wells to be the new athletic director and head football coach in a meeting Monday.
“I’m super excited for me and my family both,” Wells said of his new post. “We’re excited with the opportunity we have. Being around this area most of my life, it’s a big plus.”
Wells added that, having played for long-time Elkhart coach Jerry Ives at Cayuga, landing at Elkhart was a big honor.
“Being around the area my whole life, I know a lot of people at Elkhart and have some good friends at Elkhart,” Wells said. “Playing for coach Ives back in the day, Elkhart always had a place in my heart. I always thought it’d be a place I’d like to be someday.”
That familiarity with the area was also a plus from the point of view of Elkhart superintendent Ray DeSpain as well.
“He knows a lot of coaches in the area, is very well respected in the area,” DeSpain said of Wells. “He knows the area, knows the people and knows the caliber of football played in the area.”
Wells replaces John Adair, who stepped down from the AD/head football post last month. Adair will remain on staff as the head baseball coach.
Wells said he sees no problem with him and Adair, who know each other, working together.
“Coach Adair and I have a great relationship, we’ve known each other for a long time,” Wells said. “We’ve got the same goal in mind, which is to make Elkhart as good as it can be in everything. It’s going to be honor to work with John. I’m fortunate to have the best baseball coach in the state of Texas in my opinion.”
Wells beat out 80 other applicants for the job, DeSpain said.
“We had 81 applicants for the job and felt like he was the best fit for us,” DeSpain said. “We were very impressed with his credentials and very impressed with his presentation during the interview process. We feel like he’s the best fit for the young men and women in our athletic program.”
The Elkhart post will be Wells’ first as an athletic director, which he called fulfilling “a career goal.”
In his four years as the head coach at Frankston, Wells compiled a 23-20 record, with the Indians making the playoffs the past two seasons.
He also sent five players (Colby Coleman, Jamal Allen, Jabralon Allen, Treston Coleman and Michael Warren) to Division I schools on athletic scholarships.
He hopes to extend that success to southern Anderson County.
“The big thing is to build on what coach Adair started and my goal is to get it back to what it was under coach Black and coach Ives,” he said. “Back then, the kids believed every Friday night that they were going to win. The mentality they have in baseball that they’re going to win, we’ve got to get them believing we’re going to win (in football).
“Also, we want to win now. We want to win for the future too, but my goal is to get it done now.”
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Sports editor Justin Rains can be reached via e-mail at jrains@palestineherald.com
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