Offensive coordinator Steve McGhee was named the new Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach on February 10th, replacing Lloyd Alexander, who is retiring after 30 years at Clark.  Coach McGhee, a 1988 graduate of  Clark, was kind enough to sit down and discuss his new role and his dream job.

CCS:  What is your coaching resume?

McGhee:  I was at Hobby for two years, then from Hobby I went to Roosevelt for three years…

CCS:  …now was that right after you got out of (The University of) Texas? [where McGhee graduated from],

McGhee:  …right out of Texas where Coach (Mike) Robbins helped me get the job at Hobby.  That was ’93.  So I guess the football season of ’93.  ’94 I was at Hobby.  Then ’95, ’96, and ’97 I was at Roosevelt.  ‘98 and ’99 I was at O’Connor. 2000 and 2001 I was at Reagan.  And then 2002 ‘til (now) I’ve been at Clark.  I coached everything at Hobby, I coached the ends on defense at Roosevelt, offensive line at O’Connor, offensive line at Reagan, offensive line and offensive coordinator here at Clark.

CCS:  All those years, all those great coaches you’ve worked with, what have you learned?

McGhee:  I’ve learned a lot.  I’ve definitely worked with some great coaches – Coach Alexander obviously being one of the best if not the best.  It’s just the quality of having compassion for the kids.  I mean, he really and truly does.  He cares for the kids.  He cares for Clark.  Clark is very important.  He’s been here 30 years and – obviously it’s important to me also.  I guess, you know, showing the compassion and the work ethic – just caring for the kids.  Going the extra mile.  We want to win football games. We want to win volleyball games.  But he wants those kids to be better people when they leave Clark.  And that’s the same thing I want, too.

CCS:  What was it like to play for Coach (Mike) Robbins?

McGhee:  It was great.  It was awesome.  He was a great man.  He was that person you could go to and talk to.  He was always – we had a great relationship and that relationship continued after I got my degree and I asked him for the job.  And he was able to help me out there.  He was nice to me.  And Coach Alexander was here.  And Coach (Danny) Padron was here.  We have that little bond because I played for them and then I coached with Coach Alexander.  It was a great deal.

CCS:  Did you play varsity your sophomore year?

McGhee: I did not.  My junior year was the first year Clark won a playoff game.  Clark had been 10-0, 10-0, 10-0 and I want to say that was ’86 for Clark’s first playoff victory and we played three rounds in the playoffs and lost to Austin Reagan, who, I think that year, beat us, Churchill and Judson.  And then the following year we played Churchill in the “city championship” game and I think they beat us 16-14.  So we went three games (in the playoffs) that year also.

CCS:  What do you think are the important characteristics of Clark football?

McGhee:  It’s its tradition.  We’ve been fortunate to win in the past, fortunate to win in the present and hopefully fortunate to win in the future.  But I think those kids believe that when you come to Clark, it’s an honor and when you step onto the field, you have a great opportunity to go out there and win.  And be successful.  And we want to instill those things – to just be a quality person.  Little things help out the big things and being able to see the big picture and doing little things right hopefully help us be successful on the competition floor – on the football field but also in life.

CCS:  Any changes we might see?

McGhee:  Oh, I don’t know.  I think we do what the kids are able to do, so – I’m not saying we didn’t do this well last year but we might have more success throwing the ball this year.  I mean, whatever we feel like we can do to score points and try to win the football games is what we’re gonna’ do.  Defensively and offensively I see us staying kinda’ the same because the kids have done it but we may tweak a little bit here and there just depending on what our personnel allow us to do.

CCS:  Any other changes?

McGhee:  I don’t see anything.  I think Clark has been very successful.  Clark is very successful right now.  We got great kids, great coaches, so if we can continue to build on that, that would be great.  So I don’t see wholesale changes by any means.

CCS:  So specific to next year, what do you see in the team?

McGhee:  Well, we have lost a few kids so we have some kids coming up that haven’t had an opportunity to go out there and play 48 minutes or go out there and start – not that they weren’t good enough to start last year but it was just a matter that there was better people there in front of them.  So they’re ready for their opportunity and we’re excited about their opportunity and I don’t see too many changes.  Hopefully those guys are gonna just step in and fill those guys’ shoes.  Robert Chapman is a great center and we have to find somebody to fill in for him.  Hayden Greenbauer is a great quarterback.  And so on, and so on.  Castro on the defensive line.  So if we can get some people to step up and learn from them, then we’ll be ok.

CCS: Do you want to make any district predictions for next year?

McGhee: Not just yet. (laughs)

CCS:  What logo is going on the side of the helmet?  Who decides that?

McGhee:  We decide that.  It’s going to be the block “C”.  You remember the block “C” we used to have?  It’s something we talked about this past year…

CCS:  …but you didn’t want to mess with…

McGhee:  …exactly.  Coach Alexander sits in this chair and we had it.  But to me you can see the block “C” so much better – a lot easier from the stands and I like the block “C”.  We already got ‘em upstairs.  Unless we change it between now and then, we’ll have the block “C”’s.  I like them.  I think they’re sharp.