Dallas City Wire

After nearly four decades of being a part of the Texas high school sports scene, Cliff Odenwald has stepped down as Garland Independent School District director of athletics. 

Between now and announcing his retirement, Odenwald was the first head football coach at Naaman Forest High School and later became assistant athletic director. From there, it was on to Plano as athletic director before becoming associate athletic director and later athletic director for the UIL, where he had a hand in impacting state legislation and policy decisions that still stand as the guides for teams and coaches alike.  

In assuming the athletic director role at Garland, Odenwald replaced the legendary Homer B. Johnson. The longtime coach is also a member and former president of the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association and the Texas High School Coaches Association.

Odenwald, who played football at McMurry University in Abilene, once told the Star Local Media he took to coaching because he was motivated by the thought of being a role model and father figure to his players.

“My father died when I was nine and we had always played sports together,” he said. “As a young kid, I wanted to play sports as long as I could. When I completed playing days at McMurry, I knew I wanted to coach, because my coaches had become father figures in my life and where basically the male role models in my life and wanted to give back to the profession that gave me so much.”