CCS hires football coach/AD

Clovis Christian has filled its football and athletic director's positions with Corey Robinson, a Florida native who has been an assistant coach at the FCS (Division I-AA), Division II and junior college levels as well as a variety of high schools.

So what made him check into the opening at CCS?

"About two years ago, I felt God was pulling me away from 'secular' football coaching; it just didn't feel right," said Robinson, 41, who played at and graduated from Western New Mexico University in Silver City in the mid-1990s.

"At the time I thought I was done with football, but a few weeks ago I started to look around and saw the Clovis Christian job, and I called to inquire about it."

Robinson replaces Jason Swann, who stepped down as CCS coach after last season, and athletic director Jennifer Crank, who is moving to the San Antonio area. He said he's already visited with Swann, whose team won the state 6-man championship in 2010 and was runnerup last fall, as well as a number of the players.

Robinson's wife, Melissa Sanchez-Robinson, is replacing Mychelle Simms as the school's principal as well. CCS superintendent Ladona Clayton said Simms wanted to spend more time at home with her family.

"I'm very excited about the energy and perspective that Corey bring to Clovis Christian School athletics," Clayton said. "He has some (good) ideas about how he wants to retool the program … and build the program from the sixth grade forward."

Robinson earned his Master's degree in athletic administration from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2010, and is going into that area for the first time. It'll also be his first time coaching at the 6-man level.

"I wanted to be in a place where I could have an impact on young men's lives and do it through the word of God," Robinson said.

After graduating from high school in Palatka, Fla., Robinson spent three years in the U.S. Army and served a 5 1/2-month tour of duty in the first Iraq war.

Clayton said the school is close to filling a combined volleyball-girls basketball position, but she has held off on that because she wants Robinson to have input.