In the classroom, he focuses on growth and achievement. On the field, it’s the same story – inspiring students to reach for the stars. Tom Warlick joins the Fulshear staff with three decades of experience as a valuable biology teacher and experienced football coach.
Before coming to Fulshear, Warlick had a diverse education background, ranging from the classroom to administrative positions.
“I’m coming to Fulshear High School from East Menard High School in East Menard, Texas, where I was there for five years and served as the offensive coordinator and assistant principal at the high school,” Warlick said. “Before that, I spent time in the George West Independent School District, Karns City Independent School District, Kaufman ISD, and Center point ISD here in the state of Texas.”
He went on to elaborate the multitude of positions that he’s held over the course of his career and what he finds the most reward in.
“I have experience as a high school principal. I have experience as an athletic director, head football coach,” Warlick said. “I’ve taught biology at different times throughout my career, along with coaching. Truly, one of the things I’m very passionate about is football and working with students, both in the classroom and on the field.”
Despite Warlick taking time away from teaching and coaching, his entrance to Fulshear has been welcoming and positive. Fellow staff members have helped him through the adjustment to a new environment.
“The administration has been great, from the head principal all the way down to the assistants,” Warlick said. “The instructional coaches, technology coaches have been outstanding in helping me adapt to the programs and things that are here at the high school at Fulshear. The biology team has been unbelievable, along with the rest of the science team, very helpful. You can tell they care a lot about students and care a lot about the other members of their team.”
He continued by expressing his gratitude to the science team.
“I was just very impressed with how much they’re willing to help others,” Warlick said. “I haven’t been in the classroom in a few years, so it’s kind of a learning curve for me getting back in the swing of things. Ms. A., Dr. Huddleston, and Ms. Venzor have been just unbelievable at helping out and getting this old guy back on track in the classroom.”
Prior to the 24-25 school year, Warlick got the chance in the spring to introduce himself to the football team, allowing him to better coach the players in the fall. “I was fortunate I got to come in a little bit in the springtime and work and get to know some of the players that are on the football team this year,” Warlick said.
With the school year just beginning, Warlick has multiple things to be excited about, ranging from new student relationships to bonding with the staff.
“I’m excited about getting to know the staff here and the students,” Warlick said. “I’m excited, of course, about our football team this coming fall and working with Coach Caduti and his staff. One of the things I love to see, I love to see kids get better and improve. I look forward to forming relationships with my students and helping them improve both academically and athletically.”
Warlick hopes to foster such growth continuously throughout the school year, especially for the football team.
“It’s all about getting better. I always approach (these things) and say, ‘you can get better, you can get worse, (or) you’ll stay the same’,” Warlick said. “Every day is an opportunity to get better. If you keep getting better every day, eventually you’re going to be pushing towards excellence.”
In addition to student growth, Warlick also hopes to develop himself.
“(I hope to) just continue to form relationships with the players and continue to hopefully add something to our program and in my role that I have here,” Warlick said. “I want to be somebody that’s helpful. I want to be somebody that students, I want to hold students accountable, number one. I also want to be there to help them navigate this time in their life.”
From his years of experience, Warlick understands the difficulties that can occur during high school. Although he is a new member of the Fulshear team, he has emphasized the importance of the students, hoping to be a piece of positivity in the midst of turbulent times. As Warlick said, “High school, sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s difficult. I want to be there for those students to help assist them as they navigate through their high school years.”
