Winders excited to lead Clovers

Thursday, July 13, 2017
Tom Winders (middle, wearing hat) talks to his Cloverdale defense during a game last fall. Winders, the defensive coordinator last season, was named head coach on Monday night to replace Tony Meyer.
Contributed photo

CLOVERDALE — The Cloverdale Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees appointed Tom Winders as the new high school varsity football coach at its regularly-scheduled meeting on Monday night.

Winders replaces Tony Meyer, who resigned earlier this year in a mutual decision with administration after two seasons.

“The CHS athletic department is proud to announce Tom Winders has been selected to lead the CHS football program as the head coach into the future,” Cloverdale athletic director J.J. Wade said. “Tom has been a valued member of the Cloverdale community for 22 years.”

His wife, Pam Winders, was a former technology assistant at Cloverdale and now works with Five-Star, Cloverdale’s current technology provider.

They have four children — two sons and two daughters. Corbin, an Owen Valley graduate, Jessica and Kimmy, recent Cloverdale athletes and graduates, and Nick, a senior at Cloverdale and a member of the school’s football, basketball and baseball teams.

“I’m very excited about this year’s football team,” Winders said. “I know from living and raising my family in Cloverdale for the last 22 years, this small town has a lot of pride.

“Being a small town-football team is difficult, but this year’s team will be up for the challenge.,” he added. “We want them to have fun this year. They’ve earned it with all the hard work they’ve done this summer.

Wade added that Winders has many qualities which he thinks will help guide the program to a better future.

“We could not be more pleased that Tom has accepted the head coach position for our program,”he said. “Coach Winders’ experience, knowledge, and ability to lead and get young men to work will serve Cloverdale and our football program well into the future.”

Winders has coached at many different levels, Wade noted, with both club teams and with Cloverdale school teams.

Most recently, he served as the defensive coach for the 2015-16 Clovers.

“He has coached many of the athletes on the current varsity team since youth league,” Wade added.

The Clovers are still in search for their first winning season since 1996.

Cloverdale competes in the East Division of the Western Indiana Conference with much larger schools in defending division champ Indian Creek, Owen Valley, Edgewood and Brown County besides fellow Class 2A school Cascade.

The Clovers frequently have had a smaller number of players than their opponents.

“Our players will be ready and up for the challenges that we will face,” Winders said.

Meyer went 4-16 in his two seasons in charge of the Clovers.

Last season, the team started the season 3-3 and picked up its first win on the field since the 2014 season opener before dropping its final four games.

Meyer feels the Clovers made a good choice in promoting Winders to head coach.

“Tom will be fantastic,” he said. “He has a great feel for the boys, and he is great with the defense. He is the reason we won three games last year, with the big difference in points given up. “

Meyer thinks the Clovers will do well this year.

“He and his wife Pam have a great impact on the kids in that community,” he said. “It’s going to be a great year for CHS football.”

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