Jeff Smith is moving on to a new challenge at a school that is associated with his idol.

After two years as athletic director at Bishop Gorman, Smith will be the new girls athletic director at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison.

“It was a difficult decision to decide to leave not only a great school in Gorman but a great city and area here in Tyler,” Smith said by telephone. “The only thing that could’ve made that happen fell into place.

“A great opportunity came about … and the reason that appealed to me is my two older sons live in Dallas (and I am) going to be a grandparent sooner than later.”

Smith said the move to Addison helps bring him closer to family as he takes over a program that participates in the highest TAPPS classification of 6A.

Smith moved to Bishop Gorman in 2010 after being the girls basketball coach at Grace Community. He became athletic director in 2012.

He believes his biggest success and legacy is the continued growth of the Macy Chenevert basketball tournament. It was created in 2009 to honor Chenevert, a Gorman middle school basketball player who died at age 14 of Ewing’s sarcoma.

During his first year as Gorman AD, he joined the Chenevert event with the larger Cougar Patriot Classic to create what is now an annual event featuring 14 teams, the Macy Chenevert Patriot Holiday Tournament.

“Hopefully that will be able to go for a very long time,” Smith said.

Smith has long been an admirer of the late Tom Landry. The legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach was his idol and Smith named his daughter Landry after him.

TCA plays in Tom Landry Stadium.

“I am a huge Tom Landry fan and he professed the philosophy of God, family and profession and I’ve (strived) to do that myself,” Smith added.

“And now I am going to go work for a school with a stadium named after Tom Landry and that is pretty cool.”