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BRIDGE CITY — Chad Landry was named Bridge City’s interim head football coach less than a week ago, but he’s already setting the tone for the upcoming season.

The Cardinals football program is entering a transition period following the unexpected resignation of previous head coach Cody McGuire. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the team’s future, Landry welcomes the opportunity to step up and take the helm.

“I’ve got a great rapport with the kids, the staff and the administration,” Landry said. “I think they see how we run the baseball program and just wanted me to keep doing what I’m doing with the football program now.”

Landry earned his reputation through 15 years of success leading the Cardinals baseball team, but he’s no stranger to coaching varsity football. He has more than ten years of position coaching experience at the varsity level, working with the defensive line and defensive secondary.

Bridge City Superintendent Mike Kelly approached Landry late last week about the interim head coach position. After a phone call and a brief meeting, Landry’s new role was made official the very next day.

“I was approached by Dr. Kelly to bridge the gap,” Landry said. “I’m the interim. They explained what they’re looking for out of me and out of the football program. This role is new, but I’m excited about it and ready to go.”

The longtime coach knows taking over the football program won’t come without challenges, but he expects the adjustment process to be made easier by the coaching staff around him.

Landry said he fully trusts his coordinators and has already been meeting with them through his first days on the job.

At the moment, he isn’t yet sure whether there will be major changes to the team’s offensive and defensive schemes. It is worth noting the Cardinals are expected to return a number of starters from last year’s roster, so it’s possible that continuity in the style of play might help get the most out of the players.

For now, the biggest changes are expected to come in the intangibles.

Landry emphasized the importance of instilling accountability and discipline into a team in a multitude of facets — giving full effort, spending extra time in the weight room, consistently showing up for practice and maintaining the locker room are all aspects of accountability he mentioned.

“Once the precedent is set early, the impact of that is immeasurable,” Landry said. “When players buy in, you’ve got kids who want to be here and want to do it the right way. They want to play for their community on Friday nights and really get after it.

“Our goal is to have a product on the field that people will be proud of. I just really hope that at the end of the game when we’re shaking a team’s hands, their coaches will say, ‘Your kids played extremely hard and they’re well disciplined.’”

Landry knows he’s in an interim role for now — Bridge City is expected to evaluate the program’s results and assess the head coaching market following the season’s end. The district’s athletic director position is currently vacant as well, with Superintendent Kelly acting as interim.

However, is there a possibility that Landry could earn the job for good if the Cardinals outperform expectations?

“I don’t know,” Landry said. “I do hope that we are successful enough, play at a high level and are disciplined enough that the decision in November or December is very difficult for our administration.”