Germantown's Chris Smith named Rex Dockery coaching award winner

The Memphis chapter of the National Football Foundation named Germantown coach Chris Smith as the 2019 Rex Dockery Award winner on Wednesday.

"It's been quite a journey to get to this point in my career and I think it has a lot to do with the people around me who helped contribute to me getting this award," said Smith. "If you surround yourself with good people, I think good things can happen."

Since taking over at Germantown in 2015, Smith has compiled a 31-16 record, including a 12-1 mark last season. The Red Devils finished 10-0 in the regular season in each of the last two seasons.

"The third year (2017) was the year I think we caught people by surprise. Everybody says it takes three years to build a program if you do it right," said Smith. 

Germantown captured the Region 8-6A title in 2018 before falling to Whitehaven in the Class 6A quarterfinals. 

The award, given in memory of the former Memphis football coach who died in a plane crash a week after winning the 1983 Metro Conference coach of the year, honors an outstanding high school coach each year. 

"Coach Dockery was an outstanding coach at the University of Memphis. I know the award stands for courage and an outstanding coach. It's a prestigious honor that I feel lucky to get," said Smith.