GLADEWATER’S LOUVIER SAYS GOODBYE | Coach taking an opportunity outside of coaching, as AD/HFC position opens
When football season kicks off for the Gladewater High School Bears in the fall, someone different will be wearing the head coach’s headset.
Gladewater Athletic Director and head football coach Jonny Louvier announced on social media that he’ll be leaving that post, and is headed for an opportunity in private business.
“I am writing this to inform you of my intent to resign from my current position of AD/HFC at Gladewater High School,” Louvier wrote, accompanied with a photo of himself with his family. “I have been offered and accepted a position outside of education. It is a great opportunity for me, and I get to watch my kids participate in extracurriculars more. I will forever be grateful for my time here. I grew up a Bear and am very excited for my kids to do the same, but at this time in my life, I want to do it as a community member who supports and helps Gladewater ISD.
“I know this job will be very attractive, and Mrs. Patty (GISD Superintendent Rae Ann Patty) as well as the school board’s support for athletics will ensure the next person is the best option for the kids of Gladewater. Go, Bears!”
As he mentioned, Louvier is a former Bear himself, a Gladewater alumnus who took over the program long dominated by the late Jack V. Murphy. Murphy took the helm of the Bears during the 1969 season and coached them all the way through 1997. His name, of course, resides at the top of the Gladewater High stadium.
Louvier took the helm at a difficult time for just about everyone, everywhere, during the COVID-19 era, back in 2020. He coached the Bears for five seasons, and his best two seasons were in 2020, when he guided the team to an 8-3 season, and the following year, in 2021, when the Bears won a district championship, went 9-3 and reached the second round of the playoffs.
Louvier, formerly the coach at Spring Hill, finished with a 27-28 record at Gladewater, having gone 4-6 in awfully-tough District 11-3A, Division I this year (that included state title contender Jefferson and Liberty-Eylau, Atlanta, West Rusk, White Oak and Sabine).
The new coach takes over a program where the community is always excited about Bears football, has a 41-30-2 record in the playoffs, and will return a slew of talent, including ETBlitz.com newcomer-of-the-year runner-up Tray Watts, a running back, as well as running back Carsin Cooper, receiver Brayson Woods, safety Anthony Sanchez, tight end / linebacker Mason Budro, and quarterback Luke Brown.
Gladewater is the second program in the ETBlitz.com area this offseason that has had a coaching change. Clay Baker departed Henderson, his alma mater, after two seasons to return to Carlisle as athletic director and head football coach. Henderson ISD recently hired Brian Boman as its new superintendent, and will announce a new coach soon, ETBlitz has been told.
On a personal note, here at ETBlitz, we thank coach Louvier for all of his contributions to Gladewater High and wish him all the best.