Photo: Jason @moderatelymoco
The MCPS high school football season begins tonight, and Paint Branch faces about as difficult an opening test as possible.
The Panthers open on the road against Quince Orchard, the expected top team in Montgomery County and the two-time defending state champions.
That makes this a good time to revisit a conversation we recorded last month with longtime Paint Branch head football coach Michael Nesmith for Episode 10 of Moderately Mic’d.
Nesmith, widely known as “Coach Ne,” has led the Paint Branch program since 2007. But our conversation was intentionally about much more than this season, one game, or even football itself.
Nearly Two Decades at Paint Branch
Nesmith has spent nearly 20 years leading the Panthers, developing Paint Branch into one of Montgomery County’s most established football programs.
Before becoming a head coach, his path included youth football, teaching, and time as an assistant coach at Quince Orchard.
That last stop also gave this interview a personal connection.
Nesmith was one of my assistant coaches during the one season I played football at Quince Orchard High School. That was long before Moderately Mic’d or Capital Sideline existed, and it made sitting down with him years later a particularly interesting conversation.
Building More Than Football Players
One of the central themes of the episode is Nesmith’s belief that coaching high school football comes with responsibilities well beyond preparing players for Friday nights.
We talked about academics, discipline, college recruiting, relationships with players, and the role coaches can play as mentors and father figures.
Nesmith also discussed the importance of preparing athletes for what comes after football, whether that means college, a career, managing money, or simply becoming a responsible adult.
The conversation explores how his approach has evolved over the years and what he has learned from leading hundreds of teenagers through the same program.
How High School Football Has Changed
High school football itself has changed considerably during Nesmith’s career.
Recruiting begins earlier. Social media has increased the pressure on young players to get noticed. Transfers and offseason training have become bigger parts of the sport, and running a competitive program has increasingly become a year-round responsibility.
Nesmith talked about navigating those changes while trying to maintain the standards and identity he wants for Paint Branch football.
We also discussed what players and parents misunderstand about college recruiting and what coaches are actually looking for when evaluating young athletes.
And Now, the Season Begins
A month after we recorded the interview, the Panthers finally get to take the field.
Paint Branch opens the 2026 season tonight against Quince Orchard, a program trying to win its third consecutive state championship.
Capital Sideline recently previewed Quince Orchard’s quest for a three-peat and why the Cougars once again enter the season as the team to beat in Montgomery County.
The Quest for Three: Quince Orchard Reloads for Another Championship Run
For Paint Branch, it is an immediate opportunity to see where the Panthers stand against the county’s benchmark program.
But regardless of what happens in one opening-night game, our conversation with Nesmith provides a much broader look at the person who has been building the Paint Branch program for nearly two decades.
Watch: Michael Nesmith on Moderately Mic’d
In Episode 10 of Moderately Mic’d, Michael Nesmith discusses his path into coaching, his years at Paint Branch, his philosophy on developing young people, changes in high school football, recruiting, teaching, leadership and what he ultimately hopes his players take away from the program.
Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8PAl2i_ktWk
