Nocona has found its man as they officially announced Monday morning at a special board meeting they will hire Rick Weaver to be the new athletic director and head football coach of the Indians.
Nocona started with a reported 160 applicants since the job was put up back in December when Brad Keck announced he was moving to an administration job. Weaver’s familiarity with the area, as well as his desire to raise his family in a small town proved to be the tipping point for the Nocona Superintendent David Waters.
“He’s been an offensive coordinator and he’s been in the area with Iowa Park and Weatherford,” Waters said. “He grew up in small towns. He was looking for a place like Nocona. When we looked at his coaching style, and when we met him and his wife and their personalities, we thought it was a great fit.”
Weaver has been an offensive coordinator in recent years at Iowa Park for three seasons and at Weatherford the last two. He spent three years at Iowa Park under Aubrey Sims and the last two under Billy Mathis at Weatherford so he hopes his time working under those two will help him as he steps into his first head coach and athletic director role.
Weaver says his offensive philosophy and style will be flexible enough to suit his personnel’s strengths and minimize their weaknesses in terms of scheme.
Besides success on the football field, Weaver also looks forward to, and recognizes his job as the athletic director, to see success in all athletic fields both on and off the field/court.
Weaver’s main motivation in applying for a job in a small town was for his three young children to grow up in that type of school district.
“Getting them back in a small school atmosphere I thought they could thrive in,” Weaver said. “Give them the opportunity to do everything whether it be UIL, ag., or every sport they want to play.”
Weaver grew up and graduated from Godley, which was a smaller school district in 1998, from Tarleton State University in 2003 and has spent time at Grandview for eight year, Snyder for two years before moving on to his last two stops.
Weaver is married to Betsy who teaches elementary school in the Weatherford district. Together they have a daughter in seventh grade, a daughter in fourth grade and a son who is three.
The plan is for Weaver to come up a couple of times a week until Feb. 18, when he starts working at Nocona full time.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.