The Slot-T mafia is coming to Nixon-Smiley after the school named Slot-T veteran Troy Moses as its next head coach on Wednesday afternoon.
For the past eight seasons, Moses has been the offensive coordinator at Canyon Lake, where he found plenty of success running the Slot-T offense. The Hawks made the playoffs all eight years and averaged 28.4 points per game under his lead. Moses will fill the vacancy at Nixon-Smiley left by Pablo Ybarra, who announced his retirement in late April after leading the Mustangs to a 3-6 record this past season.
“I’m extremely excited and honored to be named head football coach at Nixon-Smiley,”
Moses said.
“I really enjoyed my eight years at Canyon Lake, and I will miss those kids more than anything else.”
In addition to his Slot-T expertise, Moses brings several years of head coaching experience along with him. He was the head coach at Lockhart in 2007 and 2008 before taking over at Beeville Jones from 2009 to 2012. He accumulated a 24-39 record in his six seasons as a head coach and earned two playoff appearances, one at Lockhart and one at Beeville.
Nixon-Smiley CISD athletic director Carlton McKinney, who was the head football coach at the school from 2009 to 2017, has known Moses since 2005, when the two served together on staff at Nixon-Smiley, and had plenty of praise for the work Moses has done since then.
“I have continued to follow his progress from Lockhart to Beeville as well as Canyon Lake,”
McKinney said.
“At every stop, he has installed a system that has generated sustained success. He has been consistent and deliberate in his work ethic, his ability to teach and his commitment to preparation.”
With an enrollment of 297 students, the Mustangs, which represent the towns of Nixon and Smiley, compete in District 15-3A Division II. This fall, they will be looking to make their fifth playoff appearance in nine years. They last made the playoffs in 2019 and last had a winning record back in 2014.
As a run-heavy flexbone offense last season, the Mustangs accumulated nearly 90% of their 2,192 yards of total offense on the ground last year. However, their two leading running backs from last year are slated to graduate. Luckily though for Moses, quarterback Bradyn Martinez returns after rushing for 449 yards and securing two interceptions as a defensive back last season, earning all-district honors at both positions.
With Martinez back and leading the way under center, Moses is excited to establish his run-focused Slot-T offense at Nixon-Smiley.
“We are going to show up every day and work as hard as we can,”
Moses said.
“The Slot-T philosophy is hard work and discipline. If the kids will commit to those two things then success is achievable.”
And with Moses’ slot-T offense finding that success at each of the programs that he has coached at, McKinney has high hopes for the Mustangs when they take the field this fall.
“Our expectation is that we’ll be extremely competitive, well-prepared, disciplined and display a consistent effort,”
McKinney said.
Moses knows that it will take time to establish his offensive philosophy at Nixon-Smiley, but he is ready to get to work building a new foundation at the program.
“Before we even worry about winning games, we must establish a work ethic and toughness,”
Moses said.
“I can’t wait to get to Nixon-Smiley and establish that same kind of program [as Canyon Lake].”
