The firing of Deane Bozeman School head softball coach Jared Smith stunned the community, but now the longtime coach has released a statement on the firing.
Smith, who coached the Bucks for 11 seasons, culminating in 118 wins and four playoff appearances, expressed gratitude toward players, parents and colleagues in a message that also touched on the team’s academic and athletic achievements.
“I would like to start by acknowledging and thanking everyone who has publicly and privately expressed support and encouragement for Amber and me,” Smith said. “More specifically, I would like to thank each and every player who has played for me during my time at Bozeman and to each of their parents for trusting me to guide their children during their high school softball careers.”
During Smith’s leadership, Bozeman softball not only improved on the field but excelled in the classroom. The program earned the highest team GPA in Bay County four times over the last seven years, and this season, all players passed state assessments.
“This year, our players in high school had a 100% pass rate on every State EOC/PM assessment. We had four high school players finish this school year with a 4.0 or higher GPA,” Smith said. “The players over the years deserve all of the recognition and credit.”
On the field, Smith described the 2024 season as “re-energizing,” with the team breaking four program records and six individual records. The Bucks reached the regional playoffs after a historic win—the program’s first-ever postseason victory.
“In their mind these girls weren’t doing anything special, but man, was this group special,” Smith said. “They earned a spot in the District Championship game and brought back the first playoff win in Bozeman Softball history.”
Reflecting on the season’s final game—a narrow loss to the No. 2-ranked team in the state—Smith recalled the team’s resilience and refusal to quit.
“I reminded them to ‘be present’ and to give me ‘more than enough,’” he said. “The players in that dugout at that moment may have been the only people alive who believed we had a chance. But they bought in and locked in… I have never been more proud of a team.”
Smith and his wife, Amber, have accepted teaching positions at Arnold High School and will join the softball staff under head coach Rick Green.
“We are incredibly excited to join their school and softball program,” he said. “This opportunity is an exciting one, both professionally and personally, as we both look to grow as educators and coaches.”
Smith concluded his statement with a message to his players,past, present and future.
“Be present in all that you do and if you are going to do something, always ‘do more than enough.’”
The full statement can be read below.
I would like to start by acknowledging and thanking everyone who has publicly and privately expressed support and encouragement for Amber and me. More specifically, I would like to thank each and every player who has played for me during my time at Bozeman and to each of their parents for trusting me to guide their children during their high school softball careers. I would also like to thank the administration, coaches, and teachers I have worked with side-by-side over my 18 years at Bozeman. And as I tell anyone who asks, I have been blessed to have the greatest booster club year in and year out. It is more than fair to say that the hard work and support of the parents (past and present) who have made up the Bozeman Softball Boosters have had a huge impact on every success that this program has experienced.
During my time as the head coach of the Bozeman Softball program, there have been highs and lows, learning moments, and memories made that will last a lifetime. The positives outweigh the negatives 100 times over.
From the beginning, I strived to set a standard of high expectations for my players, starting in the classroom and then continuing to hold that standard on the field of competition. In the last 7 years, these Bozeman Softball teams have earned the highest GPA in Bay County four times. Just this year, our players in high school had a 100% pass rate on every State EOC/PM assessment. We had 4 high school players finish this school year with a 4.0 or higher GPA. The players over the years deserve all of the recognition and credit for taking their role as a student seriously and meeting or surpassing every expectation that was set for them.
Carrying this standard of excellence to the field has been the second phase of my vision for the program I was leading. In my 11 years as head coach at Bozeman, we won 118 games. There were 17 individual players who signed to play at the collegiate level. In the last 8 years, we have made the playoffs 4 times. In 2018, we won the Bay County Tournament title. We were seeing the fruits of the standards I was striving to set come to fruition right in front of our eyes. This current season was validating, in many ways, that we were on the right track. The way this current group of girls competed was exciting and re-energizing. I don’t think these girls even realized everything they were accomplishing, because they were simply performing the way we worked to prepare them every day at practice. In their mind, they weren’t doing anything special. But, man, was this group special! As a team, these girls broke 4 team records, 6 individual records, and took care of their academics (see above).
Over the course of this season, in response to some adversity, I adopted a message to our players that, in a way, became a rallying cry. I encouraged them to “Be present” and to “Do more than enough.” Their response was incredible. They earned a spot in the District Championship game (in our first season after moving up into a larger classification). Then they earned the 4-seed in the Regional playoffs, but still had to travel to the 5-seed due to that team winning their district championship. No big deal…they went into that environment (for most of them, this was their first taste of playoff softball) and brought back the first playoff win in Bozeman Softball history. With this win, they earned a rematch from our District Championship game, against the team that finished #2 in the State (a truly great and talented team). In that game, we jumped out early, then fell behind in a BIG way. I called them together in the dugout and reminded them to “be present” and to give me “more than enough.” The players in that dugout at that moment may have been the only people alive who believed we had a chance. But they bought in and locked in and fought back from a huge deficit to end up tying the ballgame. In the end, we didn’t quite have enough to topple our talented opponents. I, however, have never been more proud of a team than I was at the conclusion of that game.
As it turns out, that game was my last game as the leader of the Bozeman Softball program. If you are waiting for me to air out grievances here, then I am going to have to leave you waiting. I am not going to publicly argue or refute any claims. I know, without a doubt, we did things the right way, every time. Whether I understand or agree with why decisions are made, the administration at Bozeman is tasked with making tough decisions daily and this was their decision. If you must know “why?” all I can do is point you to the statement that was released. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I have had at Bozeman and every moment will be regarded fondly.
As Amber and I are now moving on to a new adventure, we are ready to announce that we have both accepted teaching positions at Arnold High School and are incredibly excited to join their school and softball program. I would like to thank Principal Smith for welcoming Amber and me into his school and athletics program. His support has already been a huge encouragement to us. I am looking forward to learning from their legendary head coach, Rick Green, and immersing myself into their winning culture. This opportunity is an exciting one, both professionally and personally, as we both look to grow as educators and coaches.
Banji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Former Bozeman softball coach Jared Smith releases statement after firing
Reporting by Banji Bamidele, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
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