High school football: Why James Logan coach made difficult choice to step down
UNION CITY — Eddie Smith called it a tough decision but one that needed to be made.
He has stepped down as James Logan’s football coach after four seasons and two league championships, telling the Bay Area News Group on Tuesday that the long commute from his home in Brentwood became too challenging for him and his family.
“I live in Brentwood and I work in Brentwood,” Smith said. “I was traveling every day for football. My family needs me, man. I have a 6-year-old and a 1-year-old and a wonderful wife. The stress that I put on my family was a little too much.
“Do I think I could do it? Yeah. But I just had to make a tough decision.”
Smith, 41, broke the news to the team on Monday and made a public announcement on X (formerly Twitter) later in the day.
He thanked the Logan administration for its support and players for their commitment to the program, which now has three levels of football. That is up from two when Smith took over from his friend, Ricky Rodriguez, who was also living in Brentwood when he stepped down in February 2021 to move to Tennessee.
Smith led Logan to MVAL/WACC Foothill Division championships in fall 2021 and this past season. His team finished second in 2022.
The Colts qualified for the North Coast Section playoffs in each of Smith’s three full seasons, losing at De La Salle in the first round each time.
“They’ll probably figure it this year when I step down,” Smith said with a laugh about the NCS’s playoff format that leads to mismatches such as Logan at DLS.
Asked what he will miss most about the Logan job, Smith said, “I am going to miss the guys, the kids. I’ll miss the support from Mr. (Ron) Polk, the principal. Just being around guys, helping them grow, the jokes and the laughs, pushing them past their limits and teaching them life through football.
“The program is in great shape. We had two programs when I started. Now we have three levels. More kids are enjoining football, enjoying their high school environment and enjoying their opportunity of being something bigger than just football but also to the school. I hope somebody comes in and just continues to help build about character. At the end of the day, being a great person outweighs or is better than any scoreboard or win.”