(February 7, 2023) Henderson ISD has named Clay Baker as Henderson High School’s new head football coach. The board unanimously approved hiring Baker during a special board meeting Tuesday.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be back in Henderson,” said Baker. “I think everyone in this profession dreams of an opportunity to be a part of the program they came from. Henderson’s helped shape me into the person I’ve become and I’m so excited to be here.”
“I want to tell the interview committee how much I appreciate their work in the selection process,” said Superintendent Dr. Thurston Lamb following the meeting. “We had a large number of outstanding applicants, many of whom were extremely qualified. The committee spent a number of days interviewing candidates before finally choosing a finalist, which made my job really easy.”
Baker said he will be in the district full time starting Monday. He plans to spend his first few weeks building relationships with students and staff and then begin offseason training as well as leading the track program.
Baker is a 2004 graduate of Henderson who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Pennsylvania and a master’s degree from Grand Canyon University. After playing baseball both in college and professionally, Baker returned to East Texas to work with students. He spent 15 years coaching in Carlisle ISD, serving as Head Football Coach since 2018 where he built an overall record of 43-17 during his tenure. Baker has been married to his wife, Jessica, for 13 years and they have four children, Knox, 8, Carver, 6, Rhodes, 4, and Banks, 2.