Bryan Welps is ready to begin his next steps after announcing his resignation from River Road High School on Monday.
Prior to his resignation, Welps was the longest tenured head coach in school history serving 14 years through two different stints running the Wildcat football program while serving as the athletic director.
“River Road has meant a lot to me and my family,” Welps said. “My kids went to school here. I coached my son Lance here for four years and he’s been coaching with me now. River Road is a place I’ve called home. When I came from Highland Park the first time, we were in a rebuilding mode, and we got this thing turned around. I felt like we came back and did a good job again. They have great young people here and I’m coaching kids whose dads I’ve coached.”
Welps has been in coaching 28 years, spending 26 of those as a head coach with previous stops at his hometown of Hart, Highland Park and Brownfield. His first time at River Road was from 2005-2011. During that stretch, Welps and his staff led the Wildcats to school history getting to the state quarterfinals in 2009. Welps then went to Brownfield before coming back to River Road in 2017. He’s collected over 50 of his 104 wins with the Wildcats and during his second run won two bi-district championships.
He even got to do one of the things that meant more to him, and that was coaching his son Lance, who became a standout quarterback for the Wildcats graduating in 2020 and has now been on the staff as a student teacher.
“Getting to coach Lance was a lot of fun,” Welps said. “That allowed me to mentor other head coaches about coaching their own sons. When I was at Brownfield Lance was in junior high and then we started him as a freshman and his first two games were against Stratford and Canadian, so we threw him in the fire. I’m proud now because he works his tail off as a coach and he’s helping be a mentor to young men.”
Welps has received several texts messages and calls since announcing his resignation. That has meant more to him as much as any game he’s coached on the sideline. One thing Welps has always valued is respect from his peers and turning boys into men.
“The responses told me what I’m in this for,” Welps said. “It’s about having the respect and to know you’re doing a good job. Former players and a lot of coaches reached out to me. Those are things that excite me is to see my former player reach out and catch up with me and to know they are doing well and succeeding.”
Longtime close friend and River Road assistant Stacy Ward echoed Welps’ comment.
“I’ve been with coach Welps since I was a student teacher at Hart,” Ward said. “I went to River Road with him the first time and then came back. He’s always worked his tail off to build success out here at River Road. He’s a great man and a servant leader with a servant heart. He always cares about the kids and his coaches. He’s been a great friend to me. He’s a great man.”
As for what’s next?
Welps still has a fire for coaching and is ready for his next chapter.
“I’m not retiring,” Welps said. “I’m going to keep coaching. I still have a lot left to give. I feel like coaching has always been my calling since I was a junior in high school. I was even thrown in as a head coach when I was 23. I was probably too young, but I look back and it was a great experience.”