LYNN — Lynn Classical High School is proud to announce the hiring of Brian Smith
as its varsity football coach, effective Aug. 15. He replaces Brian Vaughan, who accepted the head coaching position at Arlington Catholic in March.
Smith is a Classical alumnus who brings 23 years of coaching experience and a proven track record of leadership, player development, and competitive success.
He most recently served as head football coach and a teacher at Kingstree High in South Carolina, where he led his team to the second round of the playoffs the last two years. He had eight players sign college football scholarships. Smith was named to the 2024 Shrine Bowl of the Carolina’s football staff, the oldest high school All-Star game in the country.
Prior to that experience, Smith achieved great success at CE Murray High in Greeleyville, South Carolina as a head football coach, athletic director, assistant principal, and teacher.
Smith has been named the 2021 4A Region Coach of the Year, SCFCA 1A Lower State Coach
of the Year in 2019 and 2015, 5A Region Coach of the Year in 2019, 2016, and 2015,
Carolina Panthers Coach of the Week in 2016, Friday Night Lights Magazine Top
Coaches in the Carolinas in 2016, HSSR-SCHSL Statewide Coach of the Year in 2015, and Florence Morning News Pee-Dee Coach of the Year in 2015.
Smith led CE Murray to its first-ever state championship game in 2015, finishing as runner-up. He also led CE Murray to the 2021 state semifinals and third round of the playoffs three times in seven seasons. Smith has had 40 players sign football and track athletic scholarships in his career, including former South Carolina Gamecock and current Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Darius Rush.
Smith spent three seasons coaching his alma mater, The Citadel, from 2003-2006. He’s also a proud member of the Lynn Classical Hall of Fame.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Smith back to the Classical family, although in speaking with Coach Smith, you can tell that he never really left,” said Lynn Classical Athletic Director Josh Mower. “His passion for the game, commitment to student-athletes, and vision for our football program make him the ideal leader to bring our team to multiple championships. The football season can’t get here soon enough.”
Coach Smith expressed excitement about joining the program.
“I’m extremely excited to return home. It has always been a dream of mine to help my alma mater win a state championship,” he said. “It’s no longer necessary for players to leave the city or join private school programs to achieve their dreams of playing big-time college football. Our
staff has everything a high school athlete would need to achieve all of their dreams. We
will do everything in power to make that happen. I want to thank Coach Brian Vaughan for
doing an amazing job and I wish him all the best. To my current and future Rams, we will
only be judged by the amount of work we put into achieving our dreams, but with pride,
passion, and poise, we will conquer those dreams.”
Smith will begin working with the team immediately in preparation for the upcoming season. A community meet-and-greet event will be held later in May to give families, students, and supporters the opportunity to connect with the new leader of the Rams.
Smith has been married to his wife, Lucy Gamble Smith, from Manning, South Carolina for 18 years. They have one son, John Wilder, who will be attending Lynn Classical next year as a sophomore.
