If you were to go anywhere in the community of Altus, there is a good chance you will easily find someone that knows Robert Garrison because of one of the many roles he has. He is a teacher and coach at Altus High School, he is a proud father and grandfather, and he is also the mayor of Altus. Garrison has also added two new titles to his name recently, as he was named Coach of the Year in both volleyball and track.
Robert is in his 31st year with the Altus school district. Currently, he is the head coach of the Altus volleyball team and the men’s and women’s track teams. In the past he has coaches or been an assistant coach in football, basketball, baseball, and soccer.
As a coach, Garrison is proud to watch his teams be successful after they have invested the time and effort.
“What I enjoy most about coaching is watching my athletes succeed as they grow in whatever sport I’m coaching,” he said. “It’s great to see their faces when they see success and finally understand what all the hard work was about. I always stay back and let them celebrate their victories and I know that if they can succeed in sport, they will succeed in life. It’s great having all my ex-athletes, and I’ve had a lot in 30-plus years of coaching, come back and talk with me or even come talk to my current athletes.”
Throughout his career, there have been many exciting and memorable moments that Robert has enjoyed. But he does have one memory that stands out as his favorite.
“The greatest moment from my career would be in 2019 when I was able to coach my daughter, Bethany,” he said. “On her last race of her track career at the Class 5A State Championships, she and her teammates won the 1600 Relay and became State Champions. No coach, who is also a dad, couldn’t be any prouder of that moment in their coaching career. I have had many other outstanding moments that I will look back fondly on as I get older but I have been truly blessed to coach these ladies and to have the backing of the great administrators at Altus Public Schools.”
There have been a lot of people that have played a role in Garrison’s career and helped shape him into the coach he is today.
“Throughout my life I have been surrounded by great coaches that have left an impact on me,” he recalled. “My high school coach, Bob Hart, had the biggest impact on me and I model my coaching after him.”.
