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Hermleigh ISD board members voted to re-name Cardinal Stadium after former coach and principal, Clarence Spieker last week. In his coaching career, Spieker went 118-56 and coached for 10 years at Hermleigh.
Not many people can say they have an entire football stadium named after them, but that is just the latest accomplishment in the life of Clarence Spieker.
The Hermleigh ISD school board voted to re-name Cardinal Stadium after Spieker last week. Spieker said he had never even considered the thought of having his name on a stadium.
“First of all, it’s humbling,” he said. “It’s something you never think about and it’s a great honor to have the board think of you like that.”
While he is being recognized for his efforts as a coach and faculty member, Spieker took a long route to reach the coaching world.
After graduating from Wall High School in 1961, Spieker earned a bachelor’s degree from Angelo State University and a master’s degree from Sul Ross State University. Spieker was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as a military policeman until 1966.
Spieker began his coaching career at Charlotte High School. After three years, he and his wife, Mary Spieker, moved to Hermleigh where Clarence had landed a job as the head football coach.
Over the next 10 years, Spieker led the Cardinals to several playoff appearances, a 10-0 regular season and also spent a season as a girls’ head basketball coach.
Spieker said his most fond memories from those years were the time he spent with his athletes.
“Just spending time with the players,” he said. “I loved watching the players have success. Watching them grow, not only physically, but mentally. Learning things and growing confidence. Those things mean more to me than anything else. I just hoped that by being in sports, they gained confidence for the things they wanted to do in the rest of their lives.”
Following his time at Hermleigh, Spieker spent six years at New Castle, where he led the Bobcats to two state quarterfinals appearances. Spieker finished his coaching career with a 118-56 record and seven playoff appearances.
He was inducted into the Six-Man Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Following his coaching career, Spieker returned to Hermleigh and served as the school’s principal for 17 years before retiring and working as a part-time counselor. Today, Spieker serves on the Scurry County Appraisal District board of directors. He and his wife still live in Hermleigh.