The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Less than three months before the start of the high school football season the Bridge City Cardinals had their athletic director and head football coach resign. Cody McGuire’s resignation was accepted by Bridge City School Superintendent Dr. Mike Kelly the last week of May.

Filling the vacancy of head football coach will be longtime Bridge City High School coach and the head baseball coach Chad Landry on an interim basis. Dr. Kelly will serve as the interim athletic director until after the football season concludes in November or December at which time the school district will begin an extensive search to the fill the positions of athletic director and head football coach.

McGuire said he was called into a meeting with school officials including the superintendent on Wednesday, May 24, during which they asked him to resign. McGuire handed in his resignation the next day.

The reason his resignation was requested according to McGuire was he had taken a sno-cone vehicle he owns to sell the iced treats at a local refinery for about two hours a day during nine school days. McGuire said he should have taken either sick leave or vacation time for the trips but he did not.

The Cardinals’ record was 5-15 in McGuire’s two years as the head football coach here. Bridge City was 4-6 and almost made the playoffs his first season as coach before stumbling to a 1-9 record this past year when injuries caused him to shuttle four different players at the quarterback position.

Chad Landry has coached in Bridge City for fifteen years. In addition to being the very successful head of the school's baseball program for many years Landry served eight years as the defensive line coach and the last two years as the defensive secondary coach for the Cardinal varsity football team.

Landry was asked about his appointment to be the interim head football coach. “Everything happened really quickly. It’s a spot that I’m excited to be in, and I can’t wait to get started,” Landry responded.

The football offensive and defensive coordinators met with Landry this week to plan the rest of the summer and get ready for the fall when the football season kicks off. Landry explained, “It’s kind of unprecedented. I know Coach Terrier over in Buna was kind of under the same situation last year. I’m extremely excited and I’m looking forward to meeting with the kids this week as well and getting it going.”