Charlie McFail, who has served as defensive coordinator for Smith-Cotton’s football program since 2009, is moving up to become the Tigers head coach. McFail’s promotion was approved Monday night by the Sedalia School District 200 Board of Education.

He succeeds Ryan Boyer, who resigned to become athletic director and head football coach at Warsaw.

McFail, a Smith-Cotton alumnus, was a linebacker and kicker for the Tigers during his high school days. He played defensive line at Missouri Valley College in Marshall for four years, earning many honors including National Defensive Player of the Week and honorable mention All-American. He also played for the Sedalia Minutemen and Mid Missouri Outlaws arena football teams.

He earned a bachelor of science degree in Education from Missouri Valley College and a master’s degree in Education Administration from Lindenwood University in St. Charles. McFail served as a teacher and assistant football coach at Smith-Cotton and at high schools in Plattsburg, Mo., and Clinton, Iowa, before returning to West Central Missouri in 1999 to be an instructor and assistant football coach at Missouri Valley.

In 2008, McFail joined Coach Mark Johnson’s staff at S-C; he became defensive coordinator in 2009, a position he held until his promotion to head coach on Monday. McFail also has been a wrestling coach for S-C for the past six years, including the program’s head coach the past two years. In taking over the S-C football program, McFail will step down from the wrestling program at the conclusion of the current season.

As per press release from the Sedalia School District #200