Brunswick football coach Jerry Smith resigns after receiving midseason suspension

Brunswick football coach Jerry Smith resigned Friday after the Railroaders were placed on indefinite leave for the final five games of the season.

“After much thought, prayer and discussion with my family, I have decided that it is best for my family and me to step down from my position as the Head Football Coach at Brunswick High School,” Smith wrote in a letter to the team’s X. formerly known as Twitter, account. “For the past eight years, I have poured my heart and soul into leading my alma mater, and I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to make an impact on such an amazing group of athletes, coaches and parents.”

Smith compiled a 48-28 record in his eight seasons leading Brunswick. He led the team to four postseason appearances, including two trips to the state tournament and the 2022 Class 1A semifinals.

His final game was the Roaders’ most important regular season win in over a decade; It was a thrilling 27-26 comeback victory at Walkersville on Oct. 10.

But days after the contest, Smith was placed on indefinite leave for undisclosed reasons, and new attempts by the Brunswick community to seek answers to his sudden suspension further frustrated parents and players. He previously missed a game in 2023 for undisclosed reasons.

“It’s not necessarily something I want to do, but I have to do it,” Smith said when reached by phone Friday.

“The important thing is that as coaches, our focus should be on our families and ourselves,” he added, citing his daughter’s upcoming high school graduation and various health issues.

He declined to comment on the nature of the suspension.

In Smith’s absence, assistant coach Rich Parry led the Roaders in one game, while fellow assistant coach Scott Tilles took over the team’s final four games, including two playoff games.

Brunswick finished the season with a 7-4 record after defeating Boonsboro 34-22 in the second round of the Class 1A North regional playoffs last Friday. Smith, a Brunswick graduate and social studies teacher at the school, went 5-1 with the Railroaders this season before being placed on leave.

“As we move forward, please know that I am still here as the Brunswick champion,” Smith wrote in his letter. “Even though I wasn’t on the field with the kids, my roots were and still are in this community. I hope you continue to see me as an advocate for these kids at school…knowing that I will always be there for them.