‘I want to score.’ St. Martin offensive coordinator chosen as new head football coach
St. Martin High School offensive coordinator Ty Smith was officially introduced Wednesday as the Yellow Jackets newest head football coach.
Smith held the keys to the St. Martin offense during the 2021 season and has been elevated to the top of the coaching staff following the retirement of longtime coach Eddie Wayne Whitehead.
“In the end, the committee kept going back to ‘who is the best for the St. Martin community?’” Athletic Director Jesse Kanode said at the press conference. “Not just the best football coach, who we think we got, but also who is best for the community.”
Smith first joined the Yellow Jackets’ staff last July under Whitehead after serving as an assistant at Ocean Springs for eight years.
Under Smith’s guidance, a young and reloading St. Martin team still managed to tally nearly 4,000 yards of total offense last season.
Lighting up the scoreboard is part of the plan Smith has for the program.
“It’s 2022, everybody wants offense,” Smith said. “I’m an offensive guy. I played quarterback. I want to score. ... We want to score. I don’t care if it’s close, we want to put up points. But at the end of the day, we also have to adjust what we’re doing to win football games.”
Smith has plenty of experience working with offenses, especially the quarterback position. The Natchez native worked as the Greyhounds’ quarterback coach and worked alongside current “Mr. 6A Football” Bray Hubbard in the star’s sophomore year in 2020.
He’s also a camp counselor at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy led by brothers and former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.
Before the Yellow Jackets can get back to winning football, though, Smith said there needs to be fundamental change among the players, both physically and mentally.
“The strength and conditioning program is first and foremost,” Smith said. “Football is a physical game. You can draw all the X’s and O’s you want, but if you’re not stronger and faster, ya know? And the mental part for the game itself is crucial. That’s one thing that we’re going to do a lot of things with the kids because I want to push them to be the best they can possibly be.”
The players were a common theme in Smith’s press conference. His team was in attendance and Smith repeatedly motioned to them as the most integral part of the football program.
Smith wants to emphasize the student-athletes and bring the group closer together before they can compete at the 6A level again.
“We are a family first and foremost,” Smith said. “What we’re missing, in my opinion, is the players holding each other accountable. We do it for a living, the players do it because they want to have fun. If we can create the aspect that we are a family and the players hold each other accountable, it makes my life easier.”
Whitehead led the Yellow Jackets to three playoff appearances during his tenure after the school had seen the postseason just twice in the previous 30 years.
St. Martin has gone just 6-15 over the last two years, though, but Smith believes the Yellow Jackets will be competitive again sooner than later.
“A lot of people in this community, they want to see a good product,” Smith said. “They want a family atmosphere where everybody is involved. My goal is to push the kids, create the little things and the community is going to dive right in. I really think it’s going to happen quicker than what people think.”
St. Martin Principal Dina Holland said she had never seen anybody more prepared for an interview than Smith was and knew early on that he was the perfect fit for the role.
Smith will need to bring that dedication and preparedness to one of the tougher jobs on the Coast, the only school in Region 4-6A without a playoff win in its history.
