Former athletic director now high school welding teacher

Retirement turned out to be a short-lived period for Tom Wilson, the former athletics director for Sweetwater County School District No. 2.

During the district’s meeting last week, Wilson was hired as Green River High School’s welding teacher.

“All I ever wanted to be was a teacher,” Wilson said.

Wilson started in the district in 1997 as GRHS’s welding teacher, moving into an administrative role as the athletics director in 2002.

Wilson also taught welding briefly at Rock Springs High School in 1980.

Wilson said he noticed the school’s welding position wasn’t filled in July, he decided to apply.

He interviewed with district administrators two weeks ago.

“I’m really excited about getting back to teaching,” Wilson said. “It’s like going back to heaven.”

Wilson was the athletics director for 14 years and was instrumental in creating the high school’s hall of fame.

Many of the inductees have had success in high school sports, as well as their life outside of school. He also was a head coach for the GRHS football team.

In an April 1, 2015, article published in the Green River Star about his retirement, Wilson initially said he wanted more time for family activities, specifically mentioning the decision came after he missed his 16-year-old grandson’s birthday because of a tournament he had to work on.

“That’s when it was time,” Wilson said at the time. “I coached through my children’s youth and missed a good portion of that, and I just can’t miss out on my grandchildren anymore.”