By Aly Miranda
Though he was last here seven years ago, it feels like coming home to him. Coming from Waco University High School after being there for five years as a coach, Matt Carroll has now arrived back on March 19, to serve as the head football coach and Athletic Director.
Carroll was here from 1995 to 2005. He then went to Reagan High School for the years 2006 to 2007. Before he came back here, he was at Waco University High School from the years 2008 to this semester. He had learned of the head coaching position here and applied for the position. There were many coaches who applied for this position and a committee agreed that Coach Carroll was the best candidate for this job.
“Going to Reagan and Waco was like going into the unknown. I didn’t know anyone and coming back feels like home since I already know most of the faculty and it’s exciting to come back after a while of being elsewhere,” Carroll said.
Carroll has been a coach for 18 years and was an Athletic Director before at Waco for five years.
“I believe he is uniquely qualified to lead our athletic program because he was part of the lone state championship team, had previous experience at Roosevelt, has worked in schools rich in diversity and has gained valuable experience. In addition, Coach Carroll is well known in the Roosevelt attendance area among former students and community members,” Principal Melvin Echard said.
Carroll feels much welcome from the faculty and is hoping to reinstill even more pride in the school that he experienced back in ’95, the year the Rough Riders won a state football championship.
“He’s a good coach. I can see that he really knows how to coach and looks like we can make it deep in playoffs with him as our coach,” DATA sophomore Josh Glascock said. “He pushes us to do more. And he even had us help everyone out on the team, or as he says, ‘edify’ each other.”
In order to do bring back traditions from his days, Carroll has a few goals from himself for the rest of the semester.
“I’ll be starting with the community because those people are the ones that make up this school. With that, I’ll try to be getting people involved with the school and helping me with reinstilling pride. By doing that, I’ll be reaching out for support,” Carroll said.
Echard and Carroll are working together to work with others to reinstill pride in a new and more enthusiastic way than before.