Smithville High School Athletic Director Layne Neumann Steps Down

By Kristen Meriwether, Publisher

Smithville High School Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Layne Neumann notified the district Friday that he is stepping down, effective immediately, according to a statement released on the Smithville ISD Facebook page.

“For the past two seasons, Coach Neumann has demonstrated dedication and commitment in his role,” the statement said. “We extend our gratitude to Coach Neumann for his service, his passion and the countless hours he dedicated to our student-athletes and our athletic program.”

Girls coordinator and Head Lady Tigers Basketball Coach Jamie Kadlecek will immediately step in to manage the day-to-day operations of the athletic department until a replacement can be found, according to the statement.

Offensive Coordinator Chris Sexton will lead the offseason football program while the district searches for a new head coach.

Neumann spent two seasons at the helm and helped establish a positive culture and set new traditions. He had his first college signing this past spring when then-senior Christian Osorio signed with Texas Lutheran University.

But the results on the football field never came. Neumann went 0-10 in his first season and followed it up with another 0-10 record this season.

At Monday’s SISD school board meeting, the board went into closed session to discuss personnel matters. It came out of executive session and took no action. It is unclear if the discussion was related to Coach Neumann.

“We are committed to identifying an outstanding athletic director and head football coach who will continue to uphold the high standards of our school and build upon the strong foundation that has been established,” the district’s statement said. “We will share updates regarding the search process with our community as they become available.”