Eight years ago, he claimed his first victory over Rio Rancho High School.

In the fall of 2009, Kirk Potter will be hoping to improve his record to 2-0 over the Rams.

Potter, 52, was named Wednesday as the varsity football coach at Cleveland High School, which already has boys basketball coach Brian Smith and track and field coach Larry Chavez locked and loaded for the new school. Rio Rancho Public Schools athletic director Bruce Carver said it’s a good hire.

“The big thing about Kirk is he has eight years as a head coach,” Carver said, which included six years at Carlsbad High, where the Cavemen beat the visiting Rams 21-14 in the first round of the 2000 Class 5A football playoffs, preceded by two seasons at Las Cruces High School. Potter also served 16 years as an assistant to the legendary Jim Bradley at Roswell High.

Until this summer, Potter will finish out the school year at Lubbock High School, where he was the offensive coordinator for the football team and head wrestling coach the past four seasons.

Carver recalled one season when he was the athletic director at Hobbs High School, a season the Eagles seemed flying toward the playoffs, only to get drilled by Potter’s Cavemen.

“I got to see him up close down there, kicking our butt when he was at Carlsbad — they spanked us at our place, 31-0. We thought we had a pretty good team,” Carver said.

“Carlsbad teams haven’t been the same since he left. They weren’t as strong before he got there,” Carver noted. “He’s one of the top coaches in this state.”

Potter attended Portales High and then Dulce High, where his father was principal and Potter got his diploma. He obtained his bachelor’s degree at Eastern New Mexico University in 1978 and his master’s at New Mexico State University in 2002.

But Potter, who was one of three finalists — Manzano head football coach Aaron Ocampo and linebackers coach Floyd Holt of China Spring, Texas, were the others — is more than just a good football coach, Carver said.

“I think he’s got a special knack of communicating with young men — he’s really good. Communicating with athletes, faculty, community — I think you’ll like what Kirk brings.

”Potter said the CHS job is a great opportunity, although he knows he’ll need to be patient. He’ll coach the team’s freshman squad, with its players attending the Mid-High, this fall. Potter will be a physical education teacher at the Mid-High in the 2008-09 school year.

It’s an opportunity for the student-athletes, he said, “to put their imprint on the school, the honor of opening something special.”

The Storm will operate out of the I formation, he said, and Potter will be the offensive coordinator for a while. “As we develop a staff, we’ll see (if I remain in that position),” he said.

The team will pass when that opportunity arises, he said, adding, “In Las Cruces we were able to balance it very well.”

“He’s a good guy,” Bradley said. “I think he’s got experience, that’s for sure. He’s a big fella n he never had problems getting attention.”

Bradley, with a memory like an elephant when it comes to football, is still irked by a Las Cruces victory over Mayfield in 1997. “I don’t forget that damn game, that’s for sure,” he said.

Potter’s been around long enough to know you don’t make promises of winning championships when you get a coaching job.

“The only think I know how to do is put a good product out there the people will be proud of,” he said.

Storm clouds: Carver said interviews began Thursday and continue this week for the CHS varsity baseball position. Of nine applicants, five are being interviewed. As for volleyball, there are two finalists to be interviewed Monday and that hiring should also be announced this week.