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TC athletic director resigns
Shane Smith leaving Eagles to join Crusaders
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Turlock Christians Athletic Director Shane Smith is leaving his position for a coaching job with Modesto Christian. - photo by Photo Contributed

After two and a half years at Turlock Christian High, Shane Smith, former head football coach and current athletic director, is stepping away. Smith, who coached the Eagles during the 2011 and 2012 season before turning in his whistle for the athletic director position duties in 2013, has decided to resign at the end of this school year to accept a teaching and coaching position at Modesto Christian High at the beginning of the 2014 school year.

“I had told Turlock Christian that I wasn’t going to come back next year, but I didn’t have anything planned yet. I felt like God was moving me elsewhere, I didn’t know where that was going to be, so it was kind of crazy how it all happened,” Smith said. “It wasn’t because of anything in particular. I felt like the time I spent at TC was good and I think we made a lot of progress in term of programs, our volleyball and basketball programs have been doing great. Ultimately though, my desire was to coach football and to coach at a high level. That’s what I love to do.”

Smith, who was also in talks to coach for Capital Christian, will become MC’s quarterback coach as part of the staff of soon-to-be head coach Mike Parsons. Parsons, who won a State Championship with the Crusaders in 2009, will be returning to MC after spending four years as the head coach of Clovis West High’s football program.

“He’s definitely someone who’s focused on winning and building a program. His philosophy behind football and how to build men is awesome. The people at Modesto Christian seem pretty excited to have him back on campus,” Smith said. “I just look at it as an opportunity to coach and learn under someone who had a good reputation and really good experience.”

Both Parsons and MC are coming off less than stellar season’s, finishing 3-2 and 3-3 in their respective leagues, and are hoping a reunion will jumpstart a turnaround, something Smith is more than eager to be a part of.

“Getting to go from when I coached at All Saints in Texas, I had an opportunity to work under a great head coach there and win a state championship. I see a lot of similarities with what coach Parsons is doing,” Smith said.

With Smith’s official departure looming, TC is currently trying to fill its athletic director position in time to hire a new head football coach. Last year’s coach Robert Kissee had resigned as well, in time for their introduction into the Central California Athletic Alliance.

As for Smith’s future, he is currently studying coach Parson’s Wing-T offense as he waits for summer workouts with his new team to begin.

“Not coaching was hard. It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. It’s definitely hard to go to football games and watch from the sidelines,” Smith said. “It will be pretty exciting to watch the guys compete and see who can do what. I don’t know the kids there yet, so I’m going to be trying to get to know them over the next few months.”