Smithson Valley head football coach Larry Hill has spent more than three decades building one of Texas high school football’s most consistent programs. After finally breaking through for the school’s first state championship in 2024 and repeating in 2025, the Rangers enter another season with a chance to make history.
Hill sat down with Texas HS Football Editor in Chief KP Kelly at the Hudl booth during the THSCA Coaching School and Convention to discuss Smithson Valley’s championship run, the challenges of staying on top and how football has changed during his 44 years in coaching.
Hill enters his 34th season leading Smithson Valley with a career record of 338-103, ranking him ninth on Texas’ all-time high school football wins list. His résumé includes 30 playoff appearances, nine state semifinal trips and six state championship game appearances, and he was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016.
Football runs deep in Hill’s family. His father coached, his brother became a head coach, both sons have been head coaches and his nephew is also a head coach.
Before Smithson Valley, Hill coached at Texas City, Jourdanton and Clark High School. 
Back-to-Back Championships Change the Challenge
Smithson Valley spent decades getting close to the top before finally winning its first football state championship in 2024. The Rangers finished 13-2 and defeated Highland Park 32-20 at AT&T Stadium to capture the Class 5A Division I title.
One year later, Smithson Valley proved the breakthrough was no one-year run. The 2025 Rangers went 15-1 and defeated Frisco Lone Star 28-6 in the championship game.
Hill knows those accomplishments carry no points onto the scoreboard in 2026.
As he told Kelly, touchdowns still count six and field goals still count three. Smithson Valley receives no special advantage because of what happened during the previous two Decembers, while every opponent now has even more reason to bring its best.
Success can actually make the next challenge harder. Opponents circle Smithson Valley on the schedule, while Hill and his staff must guard against complacency inside their own program.
The Rangers also enter a new district following UIL realignment, bringing unfamiliar Austin-area opponents such as Manor, Austin Anderson and Bastrop into the schedule. That creates another layer of preparation for a team already carrying the expectations that come with being a two-time defending champion.
Smithson Valley’s focus remains on the standard that produced consecutive championships, not the status that came with winning them.
That approach is summed up by Hill’s longtime philosophy: Smithson Valley wants to “do what we do better than they do what they do.” The message removes much of the emotion surrounding opponents and keeps the Rangers focused on their own preparation and execution.
That mindset also explains why Hill does not place much emphasis on rivalry games. Every opponent receives the same preparation and importance, regardless of history or atmosphere.
From 16mm Film to Hudl
Few active coaches have witnessed more change in football technology than Hill.
When he played, teams still used 16mm film, and that remained the standard during his first coaching season in 1983. Hill remembers taking film to be processed, waiting hours for it and rushing back before staff meetings before VHS, digital files and eventually Hudl transformed the process.
Today, coaches can access an opponent’s entire season almost instantly, creating a different challenge: deciding which information actually matters and how much players truly need.
Hudl allows Hill’s staff to divide assignments, create targeted cutups and quickly share what each coach learned. Smithson Valley also films every practice play, giving players immediate feedback while making recruiting highlights easier to create and distribute to college programs.
Hill’s Message to the Next Generation of Coaches
Hill’s most important message during the interview had little to do with championships.
He believes football teaches resiliency at a time when quickly moving to the next option has become increasingly common. The sport asks young people to commit to something difficult without guaranteed results, and Hill believes strong coaches are essential to helping players learn how to work through adversity. Smithson Valley now enters 2026 chasing a third consecutive state championship, with new players taking larger roles and returning players becoming stronger leaders.
