Grapevine-Colleyville ISD to recommend Smith as head football coach, athletic coordinator

Coach would bring loads of experience to GCISD program

Ryan Smith is poised to become the next head football coach at Grapevine High School. / courtesy GCISD

The Grapevine Mustangs appear to have found their next head coach.

At a special Board of Trustees meeting scheduled to take place on Jan. 23, Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Brad Schnautz is expected to recommend East Texas Baptist University offensive coordinator Ryan Smith to be Grapevine's new head coach and boys' athletic coordinator.

He will be tasked with turning around a Mustangs' program that went 0-10 this season.

As offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Smith helped the NCAA Division III Tigers to a 6-4 record in the American Southwest Conference last season.

Prior to East Texas Baptist, his most notable positions were as the Athletic Director at Ovilla Christian School, associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Midlothian Heritage High School and head football coach at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (now Nelson University), as well as other stops throughout Mississippi and Texas in various coaching roles.

In 2022, he helped Midlothian to an 11-2 record before losing to eventual state champion Oak Cliff in the third round of the state playoffs. He helped Southwestern Assemblies of God to its first back-to-back winning seasons after taking over there in 2018 and was tabbed to lead the NAIA West Senior Showcase game.

"We are thrilled to have Coach Smith lead the Mustang football program and be the campus boys' athletic coordinator," GCISD Executive Director of Athletics Todd Raymond said in a release. "The experience he brings to GHS will be invaluable along with the focus on the development of our student athletes, both on and off the field."

As a player, Smith was a four-year starter at Southwest Assemblies of God from 2001-2004, where he was named 2004 NAIA Preseason All-American. He and his wife, Kristi, have four children: Kailee, Kaden, Kye and Kollins.

"I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve this great district and the talented student athletes at Grapevine High School," Smith said in a statement. "I deeply appreciate the trust placed in me by Todd Raymond and Dr. Schnautz to lead and mentor the young men of Grapevine football."

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