Marmion takes over as new AD  

Marmion looks at season ahead

Along with taking over the reins as the new athletic director at Trinity Christian Academy, Bryan Marmion inherits a football program in need of rebuilding.

But then, as his history shows, if anyone knows how to build a program into a winner, it’s Marmion. He’s done so at both the high school and college ranks.

After a history of success at the six-man level, the Eagles moved up to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Division III 11-man level in 2016. They enjoyed immediate success, going 29-10 over their first three seasons, including winning a state championship in 2018.

However, the past three seasons have been rough with a 7-22 record, including 2-8 last season, though they did reach the postseason each year and even advanced to the second round in 2020.

“Trinity may have been affected by COVID as much as any team in 2021. Our opening game was canceled due to COVID and we played short-handed for the next several weeks while players were quarantined,” Marmion said.

Marmion said the team is moving from a wing-t to a spread offense, so there was a significant amount of teaching this spring.

“Senior quarterback Evan Chrane has proven to be a quick study and athletically gives us the dual threat we want at the position,” he said, adding that senior Ben Camp, who just won the state discus championship, will anchor both sides of the line at offensive tackle and defensive end.

Those aren’t the only changes that have folks excited, Marmion said. The new athletic facilities have folks excited.

“This is such a unique time for not only the Eagle football program, but the entire TCA community. Replacing or renovating existing facilities always creates excitement, but it is a completely different energy when a school commits to building athletic facilities for the first time,” he said. “The fact that TCA will be hosting Friday Night Lights on-campus for the first time already has our entire school family buzzing from elementary through high school.”

- Rick Mauch

When Bryan Marmion began his career in coaching and athletic administration, Willow Park Trinity Christian Academy had yet to host its first student.

Now, more than 30 years into that career, he has taken the helm of the athletic department and football team at the school that was founded in 1993. The school, like their new AD, has a history of athletic success — and he plans to continue both.

“I am honored to be able to serve as the athletic director at Trinity Christian Academy. TCA has a long-standing, well-earned reputation for athletic, academic and Christian excellence,” Marmion said. “It is a great fit for me professionally and personally. I am looking forward to building on the program’s previous success.”

Marmion, 55, replaces Joe Hamstra, who, likewise, was both head football coach and AD since 2015. He left to start a ministry that identifies at-risk children and matches them with Christian schools.

“I am so excited about the experience that Bryan brings to TCA. Not only has he built outstanding Christ-centered football programs, but he has also led solid athletic departments while growing facilities and programs,” TCA Secondary Principal Jesse Whiteaker said. “Bryan is a man of faith, consummate professional and the expertise he brings will certainly add value to our school and community.”

Marmion’s career includes 14 years of coaching collegiately, 16 years as a high school head coach and 20 years of high school administration experience, including 16 as athletic director.

Collegiately he has been an assistant at Linfield University and California Lutheran University, and was the head coach at Texas Lutheran University for five years. On the high school level, he was head coach and AD at San Antonio Christian for 12 years and for four years at Cornerstone Christian in Granbury.

And he’s enjoyed eight playoff appearances, three district titles and one state semifinals appearance.

He restarted the Texas Lutheran football program after it had been disbanded 11 years prior to his arrival. He also started the football program at San Antonio Christian and built it into one of the top Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 5A programs in the state.

TCA competes at the TAPPS 4A level. The school has seen tremendous growth over its years of existence, including new athletic facilities.

“The administration and school board at Trinity Christian Academy understand the significance of athletics to our school families and the role it plays in the culture of TCA,” Marmion said. “The Ludwig Family Athletic Complex is a strong statement to our school families and Parker County that TCA not only values the learning experiences gained in athletics, but it is also committed to providing our students with outstanding venues to practice and compete in.”

And the work is not done, Marmion continued. The athletic program’s success doesn’t just apply to when the participants are students at the school, there is a life after in which he wants them to be successful.

“Our primary goal is that athletics are used as a tool to grow young men and women as Christians. Beyond that I want to make sure we have an infrastructure in place to support a growing student body,” he said.

“This includes completing the baseball field, softball field, tennis courts and indoor practice facility at the Ludwig Athletic Complex, hiring and retaining head coaches that are capable of building programs from the elementary level up to consistently compete at the state level and adding teams and sports to meet the demands of school growth.”