Brandon Schmidt enjoys a challenge.
He’s looked for them throughout his coaching career, and he’s urged his players to do the same. He saw a challenge when he took over as head football coach for a Prosper Eagles team that was 12-19 in the past three years for the 2016 season. And when he saw the A&M Consolidated job open up in December, he knew it was the next chance to practice what he preaches.
“For me, professionally, it was time for a new challenge,” Schmidt said. “There’s going to be people who question, ‘Why would you want to leave Prosper?’ But being growth-oriented is something we preach to our kids.”
Prosper may have been a challenge at first, but it turned into a success story. Schmidt went 67-24 in seven years as the Eagles’ head man and made the playoffs all seven seasons. Highlights of his tenure included three straight state quarterfinals appearances from 2019-21, with the high water mark coming with a 13-2 record and a trip to the state semifinals in 2022.
Prosper was running like a well-oiled machine. Which is why Schmidt was so eager for a new test.
“It would be easy to stay [in Prosper] and ride this thing out,” Schmidt said. “It’s been an awesome seven years, and we’ve really built this program up. It’s built and kind of runs itself now, and that’s great. But it’s time for a new challenge.”
Despite the on-field success, Schmidt says he’ll miss the relationships he made at Prosper the most.
“Any time you take a new coaching job, you’re going to miss the kids and the coaches,” Schmidt said. “The kids here are awesome. Through the course of seven years, you develop relationships with these kids and the coaching staff as well. And it’s really hard [to leave].”
Creating those bonds at a new school presents an exciting opportunity for Schmidt.
“The flip side [of leaving] is getting to build relationships with the players and coaches in College Station,” Schmidt said. “I’m there to support them in any way that I can.”
The advantages of the Consol job aren’t just about football for Schmidt, especially since he was raised in the Houston area.
“I love the location of College Station,” Schmidt said. “It’s close to Houston, but it’s not part of Houston. It’s not like Willis or Cy-Fair. It’s really on its own. And it’s an opportunity to get my family closer to home. It’s an ideal situation.”
Schmidt grew up in La Marque, just outside of Galveston, where he played in two state championship games for the Cougars before playing his college ball at Sam Houston State. Schmidt says that experience as a player has helped him make deep playoff runs as a head coach.
“The longer you play, the more you have to look at what your practices look like,” Schmidt said. “For the kids, week one is always going to be fun. But you have to look at weeks 14, 15, and 16 [and say,] ‘Are they getting worn out? Am I pushing too hard? Is it still fun?’”
While Schmidt is hoping to enjoy the same postseason success he enjoyed at Prosper, he’s not planning on going trophy hunting.
“I’m not here to see how many state championships we can win,” Schmidt said. “That’s a byproduct of what we do. I got into this profession 22 years ago because I love supporting kids and helping them achieve whatever goals they want to achieve. I’m here to support people and help them grow and be the best person they can be when they graduate.”
Schmidt says his role as head coach and athletic coordinator is about more than just providing success on the gridiron.
“I want to be a resource for the kids, parents, faculty, staff, and community,” Schmidt said. “Off the field, [success is] developing a culture and a sense of pride in everything A&M Consolidated, whether that’s band, football, or the debate team. The goal is to create the best possible experience for any kid who comes through the doors of Consol.”
