T-L Photo/SETH STASKEY ST. CLAIRSVILLE formally hired Justin Clifford (left) as its next athletics director during Wednesday’s board of education meeting. Clifford is pictured with St. Clairsville Superintendent Dr. Walt Skaggs.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Justin Clifford makes no bones about it. He thoroughly enjoyed his tenure as a teacher, administrator and coach at Harrison Central High School.

But, the allure of ‘coming home’ to St. Clairsville, which is where he resides as well as where his children attend school, was simply too much to pass up.

After the 5-0 vote during Wednesday morning’s St. Clairsville Richland City School District Board of Education meeting, Clifford is officially a Red Devil once again. Beginning on Aug. 1, he will formally take over as the next Director of Athletics.

“This (decision) wasn’t as much about me as it is about my family,” Clifford said. “Being able to see my kids more and obviously there’s something to be said for coming back to the place where you grew up.”

Clifford, who received a three-year contract, will take over for Luke Nelson when his contract expires on July 31.

“I am grateful to Dr Skaggs, the administration and the board of education for giving me the opportunity,” Clifford said. “I am excited for the new challenge. I am excited to be around just the athletic part of (administration). That’s a big part of what drew me here.”

Clifford graduated from St. Clairsville High School in 1999 and then attended Muskingum University where he played basketball for four seasons. He spent a handful of years as an assistant coach for the Red Devils on both the football and boys basketball staffs before landing his first teaching position at Harrison.

Clifford was originally hired as health teacher in the Harrison Hills School District in 2008. He taught until the fall of 2013 when he shifted to the administrative team at Harrison, becoming the dean of students.

In February of 2015, Clifford finished his masters degree in educational leadership from Salem International and that summer he was hired as an assistant principal at Harrison Central, which is the position he holds today.

“Leaving Harrison is definitely bittersweet,” Clifford said. “It’s what I’ve known basically my entire (professional) life. It was an awesome place to work with great people.”

Couple his administrative experience with his coaching exploits, which saw him serve as the Huskies’ head basketball coach for the last 13 years and he also spent two seasons as the head baseball coach, leading his team to the Division II state tournament in 2013.

“This will be a different role, obviously, and I’ll definitely need to learn the ins and outs of the position, but as far as athletic events and sports side of things in general, I think I’ll be pretty good on that aspect,” Clifford said. “But, there are definitely little nuances and things that I’ll need to learn. I am sure I’ll get a crash course and some help along the way.”

Clifford, who was named the OVAC Coach of the Year in 2014 following his baseball team’s trip to the ‘Final Four’, guided the Huskies to 181 wins on the basketball court in his tenure. Of his 13 seasons, 12 ended with a winning record. Prior to his arrival, the school had only four such seasons.

Clifford admitted that leaving the (high school) coaching behind is “tough.”

“I won’t be out of the gym long because I have a little one who loves to play and I coach 37 different little league teams and things like that,” Clifford said. “I am excited to give my sons my full attention and coach them in the offseason and things like that.”

Taking over at St. Clairsville, Clifford is inheriting an athletic department that has been highly successful – both in the OVAC and OHSAA – in basically every sport it plays over the last several seasons.

With that mind, Clifford doesn’t believe re-inventing the wheel will be necessary.

“They’ve been pretty successful without me,” Clifford smiled. “I guess my biggest job is to not screw it up. I want to be able to continue what’s gone on here and hopefully help them take the next step, whatever that may be.”

Justin and his wife Heidi reside in St. Clairsville with their four children – Jace (13), Brody (11), Laken (8) and Kam (3). The older three are all students in the St. Clairsville School District