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Michie Smith (pronounced Mickey) agrees that education is the most important part of high school, though he loves athletics as well. A center, long snapper and defensive lineman at Waco-Robinson High School, Smith caught the attention of the coaches at University of North Texas. However, before he could set foot in Denton, he injured his back playing in the Down Under Bowl, an all-star football exhibition in Australia. "I ruptured a disc and had back surgery right before my freshman season. Though I recovered, I didn't trust my body the way I had before," he said. Wanting to be closer to home, Smith eventually transferred to Division III Mary Hardin-Baylor to play football and finish up a degree in exercise and sports science with a minor in history, which is what he will teach at CHS. "I had always looked up to my high school head coach, Kris Strain. He had always directed my path and I followed his lead. He was a good role model," Smith said of his decision to coach in the high school ranks. "His demeanor was stern, but consistent. He listened and when you needed it, he had plenty of mercy and grace." Smith's first teaching and coaching gig was at Waco-LaVega. Work at Temple and McGregor ISD helped him to grow as a coach until love, and a position at CHS, brought him to the Metroplex. "My girlfriend lives here and the pay's better, too. The Waco area is notorious for low pay, about $12,000 less a year than in this area," he said, adding head coach Chris James sold him on the CHS position. "I like the way Coach James treats his coaches. It struck me that he's someone I'd enjoy working for. He's laid back, but has intensity and I'm sure I will learn a lot," he said, noting he will be coaching offensive line and linebackers. A former Baptist youth director, Smith said connecting with his students and players on a deeper level to help them when they are struggling is also one of the reasons he is in education. Read more: http://www.crowleystar.net/ci_26326413