S-C Head Football Coach Boyer Resigns; Going to Warsaw High

Smith-Cotton High Head Football Coach Ryan Boyer has resigned to become the athletic director and head football coach at his alma mater, Warsaw High School.

Boyer’s resignation, which is pending Sedalia 200 board approval, is effective at the end of the 2016-17 school year. The search for a replacement has begun.

After starting his employment with the Sedalia 200 district in August 2009 as a teacher and assistant high school football coach, Boyer was named varsity head coach starting with the 2014-15 school year upon the retirement of Coach Mark Johnson.

In Boyer’s three seasons at the helm, the Tigers had a record of 21-11 and won the West Central Conference championship in 2015, going undefeated (9-0) in the regular season; he also was named WCC Football Coach of the Year in 2015 and in February was named an Out-Of-Territory winner of the Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach Award.

In a statement, Boyer and his wife, Brandi, said: “During our eight years in the school district, we have felt nothing but support and love. We feel all administrators have helped raise us in our careers and have given us the foundation required to be successful and productive members of this society. In the most recent years, they have given me the opportunity to step up and lead the Smith-Cotton football team. During these past three years, the administrative team, football staff and booster club have always stood behind my vision and goals to continue to build a program that I felt proud to be a part of.”

Smith-Cotton Athletic Director Rob Davis said, “Coach Boyer took over an already strong football program and continued to build upon that tradition. He was instrumental in the smooth transition to the new stadium. He recognized the mythology and reverence for old Jennie Jaynes and helped bring that mystique to its new location to be celebrated.

“He was a tremendous recruiter for the football program. His personality and style allowed him to have a wonderful rapport with our student-athletes and thus our football numbers were consistently around 90-100 kids. He was an excellent motivator and teacher of the game and also a mentor and role model for young men.”

Boyer earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from Central Methodist University in May 2009, and a master’s degree in Secondary Administration from William Woods University in May 2014.

While Boyer solidified the Tigers’ winning tradition, he also made a positive impact on his players.

“I am proud of (Boyer’s) on-field success while at Smith-Cotton, but more proud of the way he developed leadership, selflessness, integrity and accountability in his athletes,” Davis said. “He not only trained our kids for football, he trained them for life after football which is so much more important.

“He will be missed but we wish him the best of luck as he continues his coaching career in Warsaw, which is where he calls home.”

In the lead photo: Smith-Cotton Head Coach Ryan Boyer addresses his team after the Tigers' second-round district playoff loss Oct. 28 at Belton. Boyer has resigned to take become the athletic director and head football coach at Warsaw High School.