After a long career at The Woodlands, head coach Mark Schmid is stepping down.
Mark Schmid, football coach at The Woodlands High School, is stepping down after 30 years at the school.
Schmid, 56, made the announcement to players and staff Thursday afternoon. He said he will take the next few months to contemplate his options, which include retirement.
The position won’t officially be vacant until the end of the school year.
“I’m open for opportunities,” Schmid said. “I’m not sure if I’m going to retire. I’m just kind of going to see what may be out there. If I’m going to retire, that may happen later on. I just know that from a family situation, the timing is right for me to step aside and move on.”
Community mainstay
Schmid spent 16 years as an assistant at The Woodlands before becoming head coach in 2004. He is a graduate of McCullough High School, which used to serve the community before The Woodlands High School opened in 1996. Schmid was on McCullough’s first two varsity football teams in 1978 and 1979.
Between McCullough and The Woodlands, the city’s high school football program has had only three head coaches.
Since 2004, Schmid furthered The Woodlands’ reputation as one of the state’s most consistent programs. He guided the Highlanders to a Class 6A Division I state championship game appearance in 2016, adding to the program’s other appearance in a state title game when he was an assistant in 2003.
Under Schmid, the Highlanders went 125-41 with nine district titles, three undefeated regularseason campaigns, and six seasons of double-digit wins among many other program landmarks. The Woodlands never missed the playoffs under Schmid.
Vouches for assistants
His resignation makes The Woodlands one of the more noteworthy job openings in the state this offseason. But just as he was promoted to the head post after former Woodlands coach Weldon Willig moved to Conroe ISD administration, Schmid believes he has assistants who can replace him.
“I’ve got a great coaching staff, and many of them have been with me for well over 20 years,” Schmid said. “Their reputation as outstanding men and quality coaches speaks volumes. I think there are people on this staff that are very capable of stepping in and taking this program over.”