They say home is where the heart is and for Rick Rhoades, the return home  to Cameron Yoe is plenty sweet.

Cameron ISD on Monday announced Rhoades would return to the site of his greatest success as a coach as he was named athletic director/head football coach. 

Rhoades' run at Cameron Yoe from 2009-2015 is matched by few as he rolled up a remarkable 82-17 record and led the Yoemen to five state title games, winning three consecutive state titles from 2012-2014. 

After losing in the 2015 state title game to Brock, Rhoades departed Central Texas and took the job at Gregory-Portland down on the Texas coast. Rhoades wasn’t able to duplicate that run of success at G-P, posting a respectable 26-23 record in five seasons, but he failed to lead the Wildcats to the postseason. 

Rhoades announced his retirement shortly after the conclusion of the 2020 season, but it was assumed in most circles the retirement would not last long. It didn't as Rhoades’ name surfaced as the top contender at Yoe. 

He takes over a Cameron Yoe program that missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2009 when the Yoemen were a Class 4A school.