Football

Brad Smiley is in his 11th season at the helm of Trinity Valley Football, and the school's all-time leader in wins, has established the program as one of the most dominant programs in the conference as well as one of the nation's best. The previous five seasons the program has been on a run that has seen the Cardinals become the only program in conference history to win five consecutive SWJCFC Championships (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017).  They also have played in four of the last five Region Championship games (2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017), winning three of them (2013, 2014 & 2016), four of the last five Heart of Texas Bowls (winning them all 2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017), as well as finishing as the 2014 NJCAA National Champion Runner Up.  For his efforts, Smiley has been named Conference Coach of the Year three times (2013, 2014 & 2016), and was recognized by American Football Monthly magazine as the 2014 National Junior College Coach of the Year. During his tenure in Athens, Smiley has led the Cardinals to eight Regional Semi-Final appearances (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017), five Regional Championship game appearances (2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017) and a Top 5 NJCAA national ranking in 3 of the last 4 final polls.  The Cardinals are on a current streak of 60 consecutive weeks ranked in the NJCAA Top 20 national rankings, and 21 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top 10. 

In his 11 seasons, Smiley's teams have produced 93 All-SWJCFC 1st or 2nd Team selections, 20 NJCAA All-Americans, 13 National Players of the Week, 9 Conference Players of the Year (Overall MVP - 3, Off MVP - 2 & Def MVP - 4) and 1 National Player of the Year (2014 - LB Cortney Finney).  Known for explosive offenses, suffocating defenses and game changing special teams, the Cardinals routinely rank among the conference and nation's best statistically.  The Cards have held a Top 10 national ranking in Total Offense in 9 of Smiley's 11 seasons and led the nation in total touchdowns, total points and extra points for 3 consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2016.  They also have set NJCAA All-Time Records for Plays In A Season (2016), Yards Per Game (656.1 - 2015), Yards Per Season (7,778 - 2014), and Extra Points Made In A Season (95 - 2014). Under Smiley's guidance two former Cardinals have also set NJCAA all-time individual records: QB Jerod Evans set the NJCAA record for Total Offense Per Game (439.0 yards per in 2015) and K Leo Peralta set the NJCAA record for Extra Points Made In A Season (95 in 2014). During Smiley's tenure the Cardinals have produced 11 of the top 12, 18 of the top 20 and 36 of the top 55 scoring games in Trinity Valley Football history.  The Cardinals are also among the nation's elite for sending players to NCAA Division 1 programs, having had 120+ players move on to D1 FBS or FCS schools in just the previous 6 seasons, leading the nation in 4 of those years. He has also had 12 former Cardinals lettermen under his tutelage earn NFL opportunities as well.

Smiley, who also serves in the role of Athletic Director for Trinity Valley's men's and women's sports has helped lead the Cardinals to unprecedented success during his tenure.  Since taking over as Athletic Director in the summer of 2012, Cardinal Athletics have claimed 12 Conference Championships (football-5, women's basketball-5, and men's basketball-2), 7 Region Championships(football-3, women's basketball-3 and men's basketball-1), 4 National Championships (women's basketball-2, cheer-2) and 6 National Championship Runners-Up (football-1, women's basketball-2 and cheer-3).  He also helped broker the deal that began in the spring of 2017 with Under Armour, for Trinity Valley Athletics to become the flagship junior college program for the sportswear giant.

2016 was another exciting and successful year for the Cardinal Football program, once again hitting the SWJCFC triple crown by winning the 2016 Conference Championship, 2016 Region Championship and 2016 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl.  The 2016 SWJCFC Conference title is their 4th consecutive conference championship, making this the first time this has been accomplished since NJCAA Hall of Fame Coach Bob Baccarini led the Cardinals to 4 consecutive from 1965-68.  This season also marked the 3rd Region Championship, and 3rd bowl victory in the last 4 seasons.  Trinity Valley once again led the SWJCFC in all-conference selections with 13 1st or 2nd team picks, as well as LB DaQuan Patton receiving Defensive Player of the Year honors and Coach Smiley picking up Coach of the Year honors for the 3rd time in the last 4 years.  The nation's leader in fieldgoals and PAT's, placekicker and punter Caden Novikoff was named to the an NJCAA 1st Team All-American, and Patton took home 2nd team All-American accolades as well.  The Cardinals also led the league again in several categories including: points (595), touchdowns (77), passing touchdowns (38), total yards (6715), rushing yards (3125), yards per carry (6.6), field goals (17), PAT's (68), scoring defense (31.5), defensive touchdowns (4), INT return yards (412), INT return average (34.3), and punt return yards (23.3).  

In 2015, the Cards started out the season ranked #2 in both the NJCAA and Sporting News Preseason polls.  After dropping the opening 2 games to two top 10 teams, the young Cardinal squad began to grow up week by week and ended the regular season winning 7 straight games to claim the 2015 SWJCFC Conference Championship, their 3rd consecutive conference crown (the school's 21st in school history).  The season was highlighted by an offense that led all levels of football in Scoring Offense (57.7 ppg), Passing Offense (439.9 ypg) and a NJCAA record breaking season in Total Offense (656.1 ypg). Quarterback Jerod Evans (Virginia Tech) was named the Conference's MVP en route to being selected a 1st Team All-American along with receiver Derrick Willies (Texas Tech) and tight end Nick Jones (Stephen F Austin).  To go along with the 3 1st Team All-Americans, the Cardinals had 13 players selected to the All-SWJCFC 1st or 2nd Teams. Other than the aforementioned nation's leading stats, the Cardinal Offense led the conference and finished top 5 nationally in total points (577), touchdowns (78), completions (264), passing touchdowns (53), yards per carry (6.3). 

The Cardinals run in 2014 was a historic one.  The NJCAA National Runner-Ups became only the third team in school history to finish with a perfect 12-0 record, and the fourth to finish the regular season undefeated.  The 2014 SWJCFC Championship was the 20th in school history, and the trip to the 2014 C.HA.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl was the 20th in school history as well (TVCC leads the SWJCFC all-time in both categories). Accomplishing the back-to-back conference and region championships for 2 consecutive years for the first time in school history, and the first to accomplish in the league in over 20 years.  The offense put up unprecedented numbers, breaking the NJCAA All-Time record in total offense (7,778 yards), yards per game (648.1) and placekicker Leo Peralta broke the NJCAA All-Time record for PAT's (95).  The Cardinal offense lead the nation in all of those categories, as well as points scored (704), points per game (58.7), touchdowns (96), passing touchdowns (52), passing yards (4,343), rushing yards (3,434) and yards per carry (7.6).  The offense also finished 2nd nationally in passing yards per game (368.6), rushing yards per game (289.5) and were 3rd nationally in rushing touchdowns (43).  10 of the Cardinals 12 games in 2014 rank among the top 35 highest scoring games in school history, going for more than 50 points ten times, 60 points five times and 70 points three times.  The Cardinal defense also had a great year, finishing first in the conference in total defense, passing defense, points per game and yards per game.  Cardinal sophomore linebacker, Cortney Finney (North Texas), was named both the 2014 NJCAA and SWJCFC Defensive Player of the Year.  In 3 of the past 4 seasons a Cardinal has won the conference's defensive top honor.  In special teams, the Cards led the nation in kicking points scored (128) and PAT's (95), both breaking SWJCFC Conference records set by the Cardinals kickers in 2013. The 2014 Cardinals once again led the conference with 11 first or second team All-SWJCFC selections, and also had 2 NJCAA 1st Team Al-Americans, OL Reggie Harris (SE Louisiana) and LB Cortney Finney (North Texas).

Smiley and the Cards had an exciting year in 2013 as well winning both the 2013 SWJCFC Championship and the 2013 SWJCFC Regional Championship, which culminated with an appearance in the 2013 C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl, where they scored the second most points in NJCAA bowl game history with with a 72-23 rout over #12 Mesa CC, and finished as the #5 ranked team in the nation.  The season was not short on individual accolades as QB Ryan Polite (who broke SWJCFC single-season passing records for touchdowns, completions and attempts) being named the 2013 SWJCFC MVP, and DT Jhaustin Thomas being named the 2013 SWJCFC Defensive Player of the Year.  This was the fourth time in five seasons a Cardinal offensive player had taken home SWJCFC Offensive Player of the Year or SWJCFC MVP honors.  The 2013 season also included 4 players being named to the NJCAA All-American Team (DL Jhaustin Thomas (South Carolina) - 1st Team, LB Josh Pickett - 1st Team, DB D'Nerius Antoine (Southern Mississippi) - 1st Team and QB Ryan Polite (SE Oklahoma) - HM. 

Smiley served as the offensive line and tight ends coach, as well as recruiting coordinator in the 1998 and 1999 seasons under former head coach and Trinity Valley Hall of Fame inductee Scotty Conley. He was a part of the 1999 SWJCFC Championship and 1999 Red River Bowl Championship teams. His line helped pave the way for the conferences leading rushing attack both seasons as well as ranking top 5 nationally. 

Smiley came to Trinity Valley after spending 7 seasons coaching at Division I FBS Tulane University. During his time in New Orleans he was the program's recruiting coordinator, as well as coaching the Green Wave tight ends and assisting with the offensive line.  During his tenure at Tulane he was a part of an offensive staff that helped produce Tulane's all-time leading passer (Patrick Ramsey), leading scorer (Lou Groza Award-Winner Seth Marler), and leading rushers (Mewelde Moore & Matt Forte), as well as several all-time leading receivers. Also, offensively laying claim to 3 of Tulane’s top 5 seasons in total yardage and passing yardage. While at Tulane he was a part of the team’s 2002 Hawaii Bowl Championship, 2005 Disney’s Wide World of Sports Spirit Award and 2005 Football Writers of America Association Courage Award. 

Smiley began his coaching career at his alma mater, Baylor University, as a student assistant in 1995. While with the Bears he worked with the quarterbacks and kicking specialists. He then moved to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana where he spent the 1996 and 1997 seasons coaching the team’s tight ends. He was a part of the 1997 Southland Football Conference Championship team helping NSU advance to the 1997 NCAA Division I (FCS) Championship Playoffs. In 1997, tight end Damian Johnson was selected to participate in the NCAA Blue-Grey Collegiate All-Star game.  
 
Smiley is married to the former Janna Clary of Natchitoches, Louisiana and the couple have two children, Ben (14) and Clary (12). Coach Smiley holds a BBA in Marketing from Baylor University (95'), and a Masters of Education in Sports Administration from Northwestern State University (97').