Time To Buy In: Davidson takes over Spartans basketball, joins Bernalillo after Bosque exit

BERNALILLO - It is a new era for the Bernalillo boys basketball program.

If you didn’t hear about it already, you can go straight to the source to find out.

“My door is open, my phone is always on for anybody who wants to reach out to me to talk basketball to me,” said Clifton Davidson, the former Bosque School head coach and 3A state champion who will be at the helm for the Bernalillo Spartans next season.

Davidson was let go by the Bobcats in February, ending almost a decade's stint on Bosque School road. The following weeks were filled with calls and messages from potential new suitors, including the Spartans.

“A couple of days after I was let go from Bosque, Coach (John) Cobos gave me a call and we kind of discussed the possibility and the opportunity there at Bernalillo,” Davidson said. “What they were looking for in a head coach, and what I was looking for as far as my next place to be able to coach.”

Cobos took over the athletic director role in early January, making this the first big move of his tenure.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Davidson to Bernalillo High School and the Spartan family,” Cobos said in the school’s press release on the hire. “His experience, leadership, and commitment to developing young men, both on and off the court, align perfectly with our values and vision for our athletic programs.”

Bosque is coming off a 19-11 finish to the 2025-26 season, which included a trip to the 3A playoffs, a stark contrast to the state of the Spartans, who finished 3-24 in their fifth consecutive losing season.

“I think it's exciting whenever there's some change like that. It's exciting for me. I think it's going to be exciting for our players, families and the community there,” Davidson said. “I recognize that it's going to be difficult. It's about building and starting with the small things, implementing our offenses and defenses, getting the kids to buy into what we are teaching and just having some fun with it.”

“Buying in” is the name of the game when it comes to Davidson’s coaching style, emphasizing commitment and pride when his teams take the court. 

His philosophy was evident in Bosque’s eight consecutive winning seasons under his leadership, including a state title in 2020.

“We want our athletes to know what our expectations are as a basketball program, that we communicate that with them clearly, that we're honest about that, that their effort is going to be rewarded in the way that they play,” Davidson said. “What we want from them is that they desire to compete, right? A lot of people want to play the game, but the competition part of the game can be quite daunting, especially at a school like Bernalillo, where the expectations are high.”

Bernalillo, as a school and community, rallies behind its teams. It was evident in the Lady Spartans’ impressive run in their return to the postseason, as Davidson looks to take the Spartan faithful on a similar journey.

“I think (community) is vital to the success of any basketball program. I felt like we did a great job of building community at Bosque School, even though it's not the same as Bernalillo,” Davidson said. “Community and family, to me, are the same. It's about building that family, building that community, where the people around that school, the pueblos that support and feed into that school, the middle schools that support and feed into Bernalillo High School, recognize that we are doing something that not just represents ourselves individually, but represents them as well.”

Davidson will be on Bernalillo’s campus pretty soon. While his first basketball season with the red and silver is months away, he is already ready to make an impact.

“I will be on campus shortly and available to the community,” Davidson said. “I will be around, so feel free to stop me, to talk to me, to ask me questions about the program, and to give me some input, some advice and suggestions. I'm open to that as well, so I look forward to getting to know this community, to being a part of it, and to bringing my family along with me.”