From Wildcat to Coach Tez: Building a Family Through Girls Flag Football and Lacrosse at Dunwoody High
In this episode of the What’s Up Dunwoody podcast, host Matt Weber talks with Montez “Coach Tez” Swinney about building two powerhouse girls programs at Dunwoody High School: flag football and lacrosse. Learn how Coach Tez is creating a true family culture, honoring the legacy of Coach Nash, and shaping the future of athletics in Dunwoody, GA.
A Wildcat Who Came Back to Serve
Some stories just feel right, and this is one of them. Montez Swinney, better known around the halls as Coach Tez, graduated from Dunwoody High School in 2003. He grew up in Decatur but came through Dunwoody’s MNM program and played sports as a Wildcat. Like most high school students, he probably did not fully understand how special the place was at the time. You rarely do when you are 17.
Years later, he walked back into the building. A quick visit to see his former teacher and principal, Tom McFerrin, led to a conversation that sent him down the hall to talk with Coach Nash. That conversation changed everything. What started as helping with football eventually became a calling.
Coach Tez did not walk in as a polished veteran coach with a master plan. He was willing. He was competitive. He cared. Coach Nash saw leadership and character before anything else. Coach Nash saw F.A.M.I.L.Y. That relationship became foundational, not just for his coaching career but for how he now leads young women across two sports programs.
That kind of full circle story is part of what makes living in Dunwoody so meaningful. People leave, grow, and then come back to invest in the same community that shaped them.
The Legacy of Coach Nash
You cannot tell Coach Tez’s story without talking about Coach Nash. Although he passed away a few months ago, his presence is still deeply felt inside Dunwoody High School. He built more than teams. He built a culture. It was not something printed on T-shirts or repeated as a catchy slogan. It was something lived out daily.
One of the core principles he instilled was F.A.M.I.L.Y., which stood for Forget About Me I Love You. That phrase continues to guide Coach Tez today. It shapes how he runs practice, how he disciplines, how he encourages, and how he teaches accountability.
Coach Nash created a true family atmosphere at the high school, and he was a huge influence on Tez. The emphasis was always bigger than wins and losses. It was about who you become in the process. It was about what you pour into a place and how that place pours back into you. “You love Dunwoody, and it will love you back” is something you could often hear Nash say, and something Tez mentioned as well.
For families moving to Dunwoody or relocating to Dunwoody, these stories matter. Schools are not just buildings. They are ecosystems of influence. Coaches like Nash and Tez become anchors in young people’s lives, and that stability shapes the entire community.
Girls Flag Football Is Exploding
Let’s talk about girls flag football first, because this program has taken off in a big way. Coach Tez launched the team during COVID with support from the Atlanta Falcons, who provided a grant to help get it started. At a time when most things were shutting down, he gathered 22 girls and gave them an opportunity to compete.
Many of those first athletes came from his lacrosse program. They were already tough, competitive, and coachable. The transition made sense. What began as a small experiment has now become one of the most exciting programs on campus.
More than 100 girls try out each year. The growth has required adding a JV team, and a ninth grade team is on the way. Coach Tez is even launching a feeder team at Vanderlyn Elementary, partly because his daughter asked him to coach. That is how real community programs grow. They grow from inside families.
This past season, the varsity team won their region championship, and Coach Tez was named Coach of the Year. What stands out most is not that they were the most physically dominant team. It is that they were disciplined. They studied film. They corrected mistakes. They held each other accountable. Discipline became their edge.
Why Girls Flag Football Fits Dunwoody
Girls flag football thrives here because Dunwoody shows up. Parents are engaged, kids play multiple sports, and coaches work together instead of guarding territory. The sport blends speed, strategy, and toughness, pulling in soccer players, lacrosse players, basketball players, and even first time athletes who just want to compete.
Coach Tez says he has yet to see a player regret trying it. Once they step on the field, they are hooked. They love the competitiveness, the teamwork, and even the film sessions where they break down what went right and what needs to improve.
And when families are researching homes for sale in Dunwoody, they are also researching programs. They want to know where their kids can plug in. Girls flag football is now part of that story, and it mirrors the broader strength of the Dunwoody real estate market. Strong schools and strong extracurricular programs tend to rise together.
Lacrosse Is His Original Love
While flag football is growing quickly, lacrosse remains Coach Tez’s first love. Interestingly, he did not grow up playing lacrosse. Someone approached him and asked him to coach the girls team. His first instinct was to say no. Coaching girls lacrosse was not something he had ever planned.
But he went home, thought about it, and decided to take on the challenge. That decision changed the trajectory of the program. Over the years, he immersed himself in learning the game. He attended coaching conferences and studied strategy. He built structure and expectations that mirrored the family culture he learned from Coach Nash.
This season, the team is young after graduating 18 seniors last year. That is a significant turnover. Yet the program remains healthy, with 47 girls currently participating. Effort is the central theme. Coach Tez believes effort is the one thing you cannot coach. If the girls bring that daily, the wins will follow.
He is not alone in leading the program. Katie Scharf serves as another lacrosse coach and plays an important role in developing these athletes. Together, the coaching staff emphasizes discipline, unity, and accountability. The FAMILY principle continues to guide the locker room.
Same Girls, Two Jerseys
One of the most interesting dynamics is that many of the same girls play both flag football and lacrosse. They finish one season, switch uniforms, and transition into the next sport. The rules change and the field changes, but the expectations remain constant.
Effort matters. Discipline matters. Showing up matters.
By maintaining consistency across both programs, Coach Tez has created a shared identity. The athletes know what it means to be part of one of his teams. They understand film study. They understand accountability. They understand that being part of a family means sacrificing individual comfort for team success.
Consistency builds confidence, and confidence builds leaders. That is true in sports, in school, and even in business.
Building the Feeder System
Another major theme from this episode is the importance of feeder programs. Coach Tez watched Coach Nash build the Junior Wildcats system for football and saw firsthand how powerful it was when players arrived at high school already understanding the culture.
He is now applying that same philosophy to girls flag football. Elementary teams feed middle school alignment. Middle school alignment feeds high school continuity. Local club teams keep the girls together. Over time, that structure strengthens.
What Makes Dunwoody Different
Coach Tez made a comment that stuck with me. He said he almost wishes he had not started his career in Dunwoody, because now he knows he will never be treated better anywhere else. That speaks volumes about this community.
Dunwoody is supportive. It is engaged. Whether it is Dunwoody events at Brook Run Park, a Friday night game, a lacrosse match, or dinner at one of the best restaurants in Dunwoody after a win, there is a rhythm here that feels connected.
As a Dunwoody REALTOR, I often talk with families who are moving to Dunwoody because they want that connection. They want proximity to Perimeter Mall. They want strong schools. They want safe streets and real community. They want coaches who care about their children beyond the scoreboard.
Coach Tez embodies that spirit.
More Than Just Wins
Yes, the region championship was impressive. Yes, Coach of the Year is a great honor. But the deeper story is impact. During the day, Coach Tez serves as a special education teacher. He mentors students. He builds relationships. He invests in young people who need consistency and encouragement.
That philosophy aligns with something I say often. Show up. Keep showing up. Consistency compounds over time. Whether you are building a sports program, raising a family, or trying to become the best real estate agent in Dunwoody, the principle is the same. The small daily efforts add up.
Call to Action
If you have a daughter at Vanderlyn, Peachtree, or Dunwoody High and are curious about girls flag football or lacrosse, reach out to the school and get plugged in. These programs are growing, competitive, and rooted in family.
If you are thinking about moving to Dunwoody and want to understand how neighborhoods, schools, and community life intersect, I am around. Call me at 404-502-8683 or grab a time to chat. No pressure. Just a conversation.
Show Notes
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Coach Tez graduated from Dunwoody High School in 2003 and returned to coach football, girls lacrosse, and girls flag football.
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He launched girls flag football during COVID with 22 players, and the program now sees over 100 girls trying out each year.
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The team recently won their region championship, and Coach Tez was named Coach of the Year.
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Lacrosse remains his original passion, with 47 girls currently in the program and Katie Scharf serving as a key coach.
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The FAMILY culture created by Coach Nash continues to shape both programs today.
About What’s Up Dunwoody
What’s Up Dunwoody is hosted by REALTOR Matt Weber, spotlighting local businesses, events, and neighbors across Dunwoody, Georgia. Follow along at whatsupdunwoody.com for new episodes, updates on homes for sale in Dunwoody, and stories about what makes this community special.
