There’s a lot of buzz around Elyria Catholic High School this weekend. On Thursday, school officials announced the hiring off three former Ohio State Buckeyes to lead the Panthers football program.
Taking over the reigns of the program is Chase Farris, who won spent time on the practice squads of the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots. His Associate Head Coach will be Troy Smith, who won the 2006 Heisman Trophy while he was the Buckeyes quarterback. Former OSU cornerback Doran Grant will be the Panthers’ Strength and Conditioning Coach and Defensive Coordinator.
Farris takes-over for Brian Fox, who resigned earlier this year to become the head coach at cross-town rival Elyria High. Farris played his high school football with the Elyria Pioneers before going on to Columbus where he played on the offensive and defensive line for the Bucks.
“I feel like everything happens for a reason,” Farris told Mark Perez-Krywany of The Morning Journal. “We talked a bit to see if there was interest. It was an intensive interviewing process and the pieces ended up falling together for us. (Elyria Catholic) is a great program. They have a tradition that is just as rich as across town. It’s bigger than football. We have a chance to do for this community that’s never been done.”
We added four more Panthers to our family tonight, Chase Farris, Troy Smith, Doran Grant, and Tony Csiszar. GO Panthers!!!! #EC75 pic.twitter.com/cXtPrJxjFp
— Elyria Catholic High School (@ECHSPanthers) March 16, 2023
Related: Elyria Catholic stops rivalry with Elyria after hiring of Brian Fox
Elyria Catholic’s coach Chase Farris talks about the Buckeye brotherhood he plans on bringing to EC @ECHSAthletics @MJournalSports pic.twitter.com/ezHqqIE7sq
— Mark Perez-Krywany (@MarkPerezK10) March 16, 2023
Smith won the Heisman in ’06 as a fifth-year senior. He was taken by the Baltimore Ravens in fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In three years with the Ravens, Smith saw limited playing time, getting two starts in his rookie season.
Smith finished his NFL career with six starts for the San Francisco 49ers in 2010. He then spent two years in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes.
In four NFL seasons, Smith complete 121-of-234 passes (51.7%) for 1,734 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
Grant was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played in three games for the Steelers before being released in 2016. He then spent time on the practice squad for the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants.
