San Angelo Central's Mark Smith named Coach of the Year after big turnaround

San Angelo Central High School football coach Mark Smith was named the Texas High School Coaches Association Region 2 6A Head Coach of the Year on Thursday.

Smith is fresh off his second season at the helm, where he led the team to an 8-4 record and the program’s first bi-district championship since 2020 with a 24-14 win over El Paso Pebble Hills.

He inherited a Bobcat program that finished with a 1-9 record and in last place of District 2-6A. In Smith’s first season, the Bobcats narrowly fell short of the postseason — but improved the team’s record to 4-6.

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Before taking the job at Central, Smith was a defensive analyst on Brent Venables staff at the University of Oklahoma. He also coached at the University of Colorado, Long Island University, the University of Arkansas and Southern Methodist University.

Smith spent the first 14 years of his coaching career in the high school ranks, where he ultimately landed as LD Bell’s coach for four seasons. He accumulated a 21-22 record with the Blue Raiders.