|
Brad
Smiley
- Head Football Coach
In his 5th season at "The Valley", 2011 showed to be a very successful year for
both Coach Smiley and the Cards, finishing 8-1 in the regular season, a #2 seed
in the SWJCFC playoffs, a #7 national ranking, and a trip to the 2011
Citizens Bank Bowl. The
Cards also sported 4 NJCAA All-Americans, a conference high 13 players on the 1st or 2nd All-SWJCFC
teams, and both the SWJCFC Offensive and Defensive MVP's. It is the third
consecutive year a Cardinal offensive player has won the award for either
Conference MVP or Offensive MVP. With a trip to the regional championship
game in 2010 as well, Smiley feels the program is back at the top of the
conference where they will compete year in and year out. "Trinity Valley
has one of the greatest traditions of junior college football in the country.
These past few seasons we have gotten back to where we belong, playing
for championships!"
In 2010 the Cardinals boasted
2 NJCAA All-Americans, the SWJCFC's MVP as well as the leading rusher, leading
scorer, leading passer, 3 of the top 5 leading receivers, leading tackler and
the nation's 2nd leading kicker. In his five seasons at the helm, Smiley has
now had under his
tutelage 8 NJCAA All-Americans, 4 SWJCFC MVP's, 38 All-Conference performers, 19
conference players of the week and 5 national players of the week. The
Cards have also had close to 90 players sign scholarships with 4-year universities,
46 of
which have been with Division 1 programs. Last spring's 2011 NFL draft hit
home with the program as well as the New England Patriots drafted former
Cardinal Malcolm Williams out of TCU. Malcolm was an all conference
performer at defensive back for Smiley in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Because of their efforts off the field, the Cardinal
Football family was awarded
the 2010 East Texas Team Community Service Award. The award is
annually given out by SPORTyler and the Tyler Area Chamber of
Commerce to an East texas athletics team that has shown outstanding
community service.
Upon his arrival as head
coach in 2007, Smiley was no stranger to Athens serving as the offensive line and tight ends coach, as well as recruiting
coordinator in the 1998 and 1999 seasons under former head coach Scotty Conley.
He was a part of the 1999 SWJCFC
Championship and 1999
Red River Bowl
Championship teams. His line helped pave the way
for the conferences leading rushing attack both seasons as well as ranking top 5
nationally. During his tenure at Trinity Valley, Smiley has been a part of
10 of the top 30 scoring games in school history, 7 as head coach.
Smiley came
to Trinity Valley after spending 7 seasons coaching in New Orleans at Tulane University.
The majority of time he spent in the role of tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. During his tenure at Tulane he was a part of an offensive
staff
that helped produce the university's all-time leading passer, leading scorer and
leading rusher as well as several all-time leading receivers. Also,
offensively laying claim to 3 of Tulane’s top 5 seasons in total yardage
and passing yardage. While at Tulane he was a part of the team’s 2002
Hawaii Bowl Championship, 2005 Disney’s Wide World of Sports
Spirit Award and 2005 Football Writers of America
Association Courage Award.
Smiley
began his coaching career at his alma mater, Baylor University, as a
student assistant in 1995. While with the Bears he worked with the
quarterbacks and kicking specialists. He then moved to Northwestern State
University in Natchitoches, Louisiana where he spent the 1996 and 1997
seasons coaching the team’s tight ends. He was a part of the1997
Southland Football Conference Championship team helping NSU advance to
the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA Championship
playoffs.
Smiley is married to the
former Janna
Clary of Natchitoches, Louisiana and the couple has two children, Benjamin Andrew,
8 and
Clary Ann, 6.
|