John L. Smith

Last updated

John L. Smith
Biographical details
Born (1948-11-15) November 15, 1948 (age 75)
Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S.
Playing career
1968–1970 Weber State
Position(s) Linebacker, quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1971 Weber State (GA)
1972–1976 Montana (assistant)
1977–1981 Nevada (DC)
1982–1985 Idaho (DC)
1986 Wyoming (DC)
1987–1988 Washington State (DC)
1989–1994Idaho
1995–1997 Utah State
1998–2002 Louisville
2003–2006 Michigan State
2009–2011 Arkansas (ST)
2012Arkansas
2013–2015 Fort Lewis
2016–2018 Kentucky State
Head coaching record
Overall157–137
Bowls1–6
Tournaments3–5 (NCAA D-I-AA playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 Big Sky (1989, 1992)
2 Big West (1996–1997)
2 Conference USA (2000–2001)
Awards

John Lawrence Smith [1] (born November 15, 1948) is an American college football coach. He was the head football coach at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky, a position he held from 2016 until he was fired by the university in 2018.

Contents

Smith was previously the head football coach at the University of Idaho (1989–1994), Utah State University (1995–1997), the University of Louisville (1998–2002), Michigan State University (2003–2006), University of Arkansas (2012), and Fort Lewis College in Colorado (2013–2016). He had been named head coach of his alma mater, Weber State University, after the 2011 season, but left after spring drills to take over at Arkansas following the firing of Bobby Petrino in April 2012. Smith has also been an assistant at multiple programs, most recently at Arkansas under Petrino, where he was in charge of special teams from 2009 to 2011.

Early life

Born in Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho and raised in nearby Iona, Smith lettered in football, basketball, and track for the Bees at Bonneville High School, and graduated in 1967. He played college football at Weber State College in Ogden, Utah, as both a linebacker and quarterback for the Wildcats in the Big Sky, then a college division conference for football. Smith was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and graduated in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in physical education.

Coaching career

Early coaching career

Smith began his coaching career in 1971 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Weber State. For the next 17 seasons, Smith was an assistant coach, first at Montana for five seasons (1972–76) and then at Nevada (1977–81) for five more as the defensive coordinator. He then joined Dennis Erickson as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for seven seasons at three schools: Idaho (1982–85), Wyoming (1986), and Washington State (1987–88).

The middle initial "L" became part of his public moniker in 1982, due to another John Smith at Idaho, John G. Smith (1924–1998). On the UI athletic staff since 1965, the elder Smith was the equipment manager at the time; he was the last head baseball coach (1967−1980) and a former assistant coach in football and basketball. [2] [3]

Idaho

After serving as an assistant head coach under Erickson for seven seasons, Smith began his head coaching career in 1989 back at Idaho, where he posted a 53–21 (.716) record in six seasons. Under his leadership, the Vandals won two Big Sky championships and made the 16-team NCAA Division I-AA playoffs five times, advancing to the national semifinals in 1993. Smith's 53 wins remain the most in school history, seventeen clear of runner-up Erickson (36 in five years). His starting salary at Idaho was under $60,000, but after two seasons he became the first UI coach to be granted a multi-year contract, with a four-year deal in January 1991. [4] [5] [6]

Smith inherited an 11–2 team from Keith Gilbertson that had made the I-AA semifinals in 1988, and returned All-American quarterback in John Friesz. Despite losing the first two games of the 1989 season to Washington State and Portland State, Idaho went undefeated (8–0) in conference play, the only time in school history; the Vandals lost in the first round of the I-AA playoffs and finished at 9–3. Friesz won the Walter Payton Award, was drafted by the San Diego Chargers, and spent a decade in the National Football League (NFL). Smith's next Vandal quarterback was southpaw Doug Nussmeier, who threw for over 10,000 yards and won the Walter Payton Award in 1993; he was drafted in the fourth round by the New Orleans Saints.

Utah State

In January 1995, Smith left Moscow to move up to Division I-A at Utah State in the Big West, with a five-year contract exceeding $100,000 per year. [7] [8] He stayed in Logan with the Aggies for three seasons (16–18, .470). Although Smith took another job in late November, he coached the 1997 Aggies in the first Humanitarian Bowl on December 29, a 35–19 loss to Cincinnati. [9]

Louisville

On November 24, 1997, Louisville hired Smith as head coach with a five-year contract at $375,000 per year. [10] [11] [12] Inheriting a one-win team from 1997, the Cardinals improved to 7–5 in 1998 and were 41–21 (.661) through 2002, with five straight bowl appearances and consecutive Conference USA titles in 2000 and 2001. Under Smith's tutelage, quarterback Dave Ragone was a three-time conference player of the year (2000–02). [13]

On December 19, 2002, Smith accepted the head coaching job at Michigan State. He informed his Louisville players of the decision at halftime of the GMAC Bowl, which ended with a 38–15 loss to Marshall. [14]

Michigan State

2003

After opening his first season at Michigan State in 2003 with wins over Western Michigan and Rutgers, Smith's team was unable to hold off a series of late game drives by WAC member Louisiana Tech, losing a 20–19 decision. The Spartans ended the regular season 8–4, and were then defeated by Nebraska, 17–3, in the 2003 Alamo Bowl, a game which also featured the injury of the Spartans' anticipated star quarterback Drew Stanton while he was playing on special teams. Smith was named the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in 2003.

2004

The second game of the 2004 season was the second of a "home-and-home" series against Rutgers, which the Spartans lost in New Jersey, 19–14. The Spartans also lost to Notre Dame and dropped a three-overtime game against rival Michigan, but beat a top-10 ranked Wisconsin team, 49–14. The Spartans lost their final two games that season and did not receive a bowl invitation—the first time a Smith-coached team hadn't gone to a bowl since 1997.

2005

Michigan State began the 2005 season with a 4–0 record in non-conference play including an overtime win against Notre Dame in South Bend. However, the Spartans only won two games in the Big Ten and were again unable to beat Michigan, losing 34–31 in the second straight overtime game between the two rivals.

One of the most significant games of the season was against Ohio State. The Spartans had a brief 17–7 lead in the second quarter. With 24 seconds and no time outs remaining in the first half, Michigan State faced a second down and 12 yards to go at the Ohio State 17 yard-line. Michigan State tried a running play resulting in no gain. Facing third down, Michigan State likely could have easily spiked the ball to stop the clock. However, with the clock running, it was perceived by many fans and sports commentators that chaos reigned on the MSU sideline. The confusion resulted in Michigan State lining up on the field with only ten players. The ensuing field goal attempt was blocked, and returned by Ohio State for a touchdown to cut the lead to 17–14. In half-time comments on ABC by Jack Arute, Smith, while raising his voice, blamed the coaching staff remarking, "That's a dang coaching mistake...the kids are playing their tail off, and the coaches are screwing it up!" [15]

Michigan State finished the season 5–6, and did not receive a bowl bid for the second straight year.

2006

Michigan State began 2006 with three wins and then suffered an infamous late-game loss against Notre Dame. The Spartans led 37–21 midway through the fourth quarter, but, despite a raging thunderstorm, the Irish rallied for a 40–37 victory. This led to a now-famous video of John L. Smith slapping himself at the post-game press conference. [16]

The following week, Michigan State's homecoming game, the Spartans were defeated 23–20 by an Illinois team that had not won a Big Ten game since 2004. After the game, players from both teams fought at midfield after several Illinois players tried to plant their flag at midfield of Spartan Stadium. In the post-game press conference, Smith admitted the coaches were having trouble motivating the players. Smith also slapped himself in the face as a reference to a claim by Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis who stated that he had been hit in the face during a sideline scrum earlier that season when his Fighting Irish played Michigan State.

Following another defeat to Michigan, Michigan State hosted and lost 38–7 to top-ranked Ohio State. At halftime, Spartan Stadium had mostly emptied, with a large portion of the remaining attendees being Ohio State fans.

MSU followed up those losses with a 41–38 win at Northwestern. The Spartans, down 38–3 in the middle of the third quarter, rallied for 38 unanswered points for the largest comeback in NCAA history. The Spartans then fell to Indiana the following week.

On November 1, Michigan State decided not to retain John L. Smith, and the remainder of his contract was bought out for $1.5 million. [17] Smith and his coaching staff stayed on the job through the end of the 2006 season. Michigan State finished 4–8 (1–7 in the Big Ten). Smith was replaced by Mark Dantonio, previously the head coach of Cincinnati on November 27. [18] Smith had a record of 22–26 (.458) in his four seasons at Michigan State.

Smith has compiled a record of 132–86 (.605) in his 18 years as a college head coach. 12 of his 18 teams have participated in postseason play, including seven straight from 1997 to 2003. Smith is one of 18 head coaches in college football history to take three different teams to bowl games. A defensive coach for most of his career, Smith is also known as one of the disciples of the spread offense, learned from Dennis Erickson, which he introduced at Michigan State.

Return to coaching: Arkansas

After two years of broadcasting, Smith returned to the sidelines in 2009 as the special teams coach at the University of Arkansas under head coach Bobby Petrino, his former assistant. [19]

Weber State

Following his third year as an assistant at Arkansas in 2011, Smith left in December to lead his fifth Division I program at Weber State, his alma mater, an FCS program in the Big Sky Conference. [20] He succeeded Ron McBride, who retired after seven seasons with the Wildcats. [19] Smith coached the Wildcats through spring drills in April, but left days later to replace Petrino at Arkansas, who had been recently fired. [21]

Arkansas

On April 10, 2012, the University of Arkansas fired head coach Bobby Petrino. [22] Almost immediately, there was considerable media speculation that Smith would return to Arkansas, and replace Petrino. [23] This was confirmed less than two weeks after the firing of Petrino, when multiple media outlets reported that Smith would indeed return to Arkansas. He was introduced as Arkansas' 29th full-time head coach the next day. [24] The event was a reversal of roles as it was now Smith replacing Petrino as head coach; Petrino succeeded Smith at Louisville following Smith's departure in 2003. Smith signed a 10-month contract, leading to speculation that he was only taking the post on an interim basis for the 2012 season. The Razorbacks' formal announcement described him as "head coach", without any qualifiers; however, it also indicated that Smith's hiring would allow Arkansas to hire "a head coach for the future of the program" in a more appropriate timeframe following the 2012 season. [25]

Coming off only the second 11-win season in school history, expectations were very high for the Razorbacks despite the acrimonious nature of Petrino's firing. However, they never recovered from a 1–4 September, and ultimately finished 4–8. On November 24, the university announced that Smith would not be retained as head coach, but would serve as a consultant to the team until his contract ran out in February 2013.

Fort Lewis

On January 16, 2013, Smith was introduced as the head coach at Fort Lewis College, a Division II team in Durango, Colorado. [26] He took over a Skyhawks program that was 0–10 in 2012, last in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). [27] In his three years at the helm, the Skyhawks went 14–19 (.424) overall and 11–16 (.407) in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Fort Lewis notched seven wins in 2015, including six in conference games (7–4, 6–3 RMAC). The last time the Skyhawks notched seven wins in a season was 2006, during Ed Rifilato's first stint as the head coach. All four losses in 2015 came at the hands of nationally ranked teams. [28]

Kentucky State

On December 7, 2015, it was announced that Smith had been hired as the head coach at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) in Division II. [29] [30]

Personal life, family, and honors

Smith is married with three children. [31] [32] He is the uncle of former NFL quarterback Alex Smith. [33]

Smith has earned a reputation for his adventurous attitude and actions, including para-gliding with his children in Zermatt, Switzerland, climbing 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, flying in a T-38 Talon jet trainer in Texas at Randolph Air Force Base, skydiving from 14,000 feet over Greensburg, Indiana, and running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

In 2000 Sports Illustrated recognized Smith as one of Idaho's top 100 athletes of the 20th century. He was later inducted into the Idaho Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.

Smith filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection on September 6, 2012. Smith said he began land investments when he was coach at Louisville from 1998 to 2002, and that he and other investors lost money when the real estate market softened. [34] [35]

Head coaching record

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs Coaches#AP°
Idaho Vandals (Big Sky Conference)(1989–1994)
1989 Idaho 9–38–01stL NCAA Division I-AA First Round
1990 Idaho 9–46–22ndL NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal
1991 Idaho 6–54–4T–4th
1992 Idaho 9–36–11stL NCAA Division I-AA First Round
1993 Idaho 11–35–2T–2ndL NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal
1994 Idaho 9–35–2T–2ndL NCAA Division I-AA First Round
Idaho:53–2134–11
Utah State Aggies (Big West Conference)(1995–1997)
1995 Utah State 4–74–2T–2nd
1996 Utah State 6–54–1T–1st
1997 Utah State 6–64–1T–1stL Humanitarian
Utah State:16–1812–4
Louisville Cardinals (Conference USA)(1998–2002)
1998 Louisville 7–54–23rdL Motor City
1999 Louisville 7–54–2T–2ndL Humanitarian
2000 Louisville 9–36–11stL Liberty
2001 Louisville 11–26–11stW Liberty 1617
2002 Louisville 7–65–33rdL GMAC
Louisville:41–2125–9
Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten Conference)(2003–2006)
2003 Michigan State 8–55–3T–4thL Alamo
2004 Michigan State 5–74–4T–5th
2005 Michigan State 5–62–69th
2006 Michigan State 4–81–7T–10th
Michigan State:22–2612–20
Arkansas Razorbacks (Southeastern Conference)(2012)
2012 Arkansas 4–82–66th (Western)
Arkansas:4–82–6
Fort Lewis Skyhawks (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference)(2013–2015)
2013 Fort Lewis4–73–6T–7th
2014 Fort Lewis3–82–7T–9th
2015 Fort Lewis7–46–3T–3rd
Fort Lewis:14–1911–16
Kentucky State Thorobreds (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(2016–2018)
2016 Kentucky State4–74–32nd (West)
2017 Kentucky State3–72–43rd (West)
2018 Kentucky State0–100–65th (West)
Kentucky State:7–246–12
Total:157–137
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville Cardinals</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Conference from 2005 through 2013, the Cardinals captured 17 regular season Big East titles and 33 Big East Tournament titles totaling 50 Big East Championships across all sports. On November 28, 2012, Louisville received and accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference and became a participating member in all sports in 2014. In 2016, Lamar Jackson won the school its first Heisman Trophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Louisville, Kentucky</span> Sport in the United States

Sports in Louisville, Kentucky, include amateur and professional sports in baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, horse shows, ice hockey, soccer and lacrosse. The city of Louisville and the Louisville metropolitan area have a sporting history from the mid-19th century to the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Petrino</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Robert Patrick Petrino is an American football coach. He currently serves as the offensive coordinator for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He is the former head coach for the Missouri State Bears. Previously, he served as the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals football team from 2014 until being fired during the 2018 season. He previously held the post from 2003 to 2006. From 2008 to 2011, Petrino was the head football coach at the University of Arkansas. He was dismissed from that position in the spring of 2012 for covering up an extramarital affair with an athletic department staffer. Petrino also coached the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) for the first 13 games of the 2007 season. He spent the 2013 season as head football coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and 2020–2022 seasons as the head coach of the Missouri State Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Kragthorpe</span> American football player and coach (born 1965)

Steven Jon Kragthorpe is an American football coach and former player. He is currently an administrative assistant for the Louisiana State University football program after previously serving as quarterbacks coach for the Tigers football team. He served as head coach at Louisville from 2007 to 2009, and for Tulsa from 2003 through 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville Cardinals football</span> College football team representing University of Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in the sport of American football. The Cardinals compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Holt</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Nicholas Holt V is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of Skorpions Varese of the Federazione Italiana di American Football. Previously he was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Purdue University for three seasons from 2017 to 2019. Before that he was the defensive coordinator at Western Kentucky from 2013 to 2016. Earlier in his career, Holt was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Washington Huskies, defensive coordinator and defensive line coach of the USC Trojans, and head coach of the Idaho Vandals from 2004 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas Razorbacks football</span> College football team of the University of Arkansas

The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program has one national championship awarded by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Helms Athletic Foundation (HAF) in 1964 and one national championship awarded by the Rothman Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments in 1977. The school does not claim the 1977 title. The program began in 1894 and has compiled an all-time record of 740–539–40, for a .576 winning percentage. The Razorbacks have won 13 conference championships and have had 58 players named honored as All-Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Brohm</span> American football player and coach (born 1971)

Jeffrey Scott Brohm is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is the head football coach at his alma mater, the University of Louisville, a position he has held since the 2023 season. Brohm played college football for the Louisville Cardinals under coach Howard Schnellenberger from 1989 to 1993. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons from 1994 to 2000 and the XFL in 2001. Brohm served as the head football coach at Western Kentucky University from 2014 to 2016 and Purdue University from 2017 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football</span> College football team that represents Western Kentucky University

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football program is a college football team that represents Western Kentucky University. The team competes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level and represents the university as a member of Conference USA in the Eastern division. The 2002 team was the FCS national champion. The program has 13 conference championships and 6 FBS-level bowl game victories. The Hilltoppers play their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky and the team's head football coach is Tyson Helton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season</span> American college football season

The 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Southeastern Conference football season</span> Sports season

The 2012 Southeastern Conference football season began on August 30 with South Carolina visiting Vanderbilt, and concluded with the BCS National Championship Game on January 7, 2013. It was also the first season of play for former Big 12 Conference members Texas A&M and Missouri. Texas A&M plays in the West Division, while Missouri plays in the East Division, although, geographically, Missouri is one of the conference's westernmost teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Arkansas Razorbacks football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Razorbacks played their home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. They were a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 San Jose State Spartans football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 San Jose State Spartans football team represented San Jose State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans were led by third year head coach Mike MacIntyre and played their home games at Spartan Stadium. They were members of the Western Athletic Conference. This was the Spartans' final season as members of the WAC. They joined the Mountain West Conference on July 1, 2013. They finished the season 11–2, 5–1 in WAC play to finish in second place. They were invited to the Military Bowl where they defeated Bowling Green.

The 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, the 16th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game that was held on December 26, 2012 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan as part of the 2012–13 NCAA football bowl season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Petrino</span> American football player and coach (born 1967)

Paul Vincent Petrino is an American football coach, and currently serves as the wide receivers coach at the University of South Alabama. He was previously the head football coach for nine seasons at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Fired after the 2021 season, Petrino had an overall record of 34–66 (.340) with the Vandals.

The 1997 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was led by third-year head coach John L. Smith and played their home games at Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah.

The 1995 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Aggies were led by first-year head coach John L. Smith, who replaced Charlie Weatherbie after he left to coach Navy. The Aggies played their home games at Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah. Despite a difficult 0–5 start to the season, the Aggies won four of the next six and finished third in the Big West Conference.

The 1996 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Aggies were led by head coach John L. Smith in his second year in charge. The Aggies played their home games at Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah. Utah State finished with a 6–5 record and a share of the Big West conference championship, but was not selected to a bowl game.

The 1998 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season as a member of the Big West Conference. The Aggies were led by first-year head coach Dave Arslanian, who had been hired from Weber State. The Aggies played their home games at Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah. Utah State finished with a 3–8 record in a difficult first year for Coach Arslanian.

The University of Idaho's football program, nicknamed the "Vandals", began in 1893.

References

  1. ↑ Forde, Pat (December 30, 1999). "Uncovering initial secret revealed hero of Wild West family". Louisville Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on January 22, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  2. ↑ Pierce, Oliver (February 17, 1987). "Retired...but not retiring". Idahonian. Moscow. p. 6.
  3. ↑ Meehan, Jim (June 12, 1998). "Colorful ex-Idaho coach dies". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C7.
  4. ↑ Stalwick, Howie (January 23, 1991). "Idaho inks Smith for another 4 years". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. D1.
  5. ↑ Wickline, Michael R. (January 23, 1991). "UI, BSU grid coaches get extensions, raises". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  6. ↑ "Hunter praises Zinser for help in getting Smith contract approved". Idahonian. Moscow. January 23, 1991. p. 1B.
  7. ↑ "Smith bolts Idaho for Utah State". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. (staff and wire reports). January 3, 1995. p. 1C.
  8. ↑ Meehan, Jim (January 4, 1995). "Smith says Utah State best move". Spokesman Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C6.
  9. ↑ Sorensen, Mike (December 30, 1997). "Uninspired Aggies get drubbed". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. p. D1.
  10. ↑ "Utah State's Smith named football coach at Louisville". The Washington Post. November 25, 1997. p. D3.
  11. ↑ "Cardinals Name Smith as Head Football Coach". University of Louisville. November 24, 1997. Archived from the original on October 6, 1999. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  12. ↑ Sorensen, Mike; Gates, Chuck (November 25, 1997). "Smith will coach in bowl, than it's off to Louisville". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. p. D1.
  13. ↑ "John L. Smith". University of Louisville Athletics. Archived from the original on August 20, 2003. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  14. ↑ Crawford, Eric (December 20, 2002). "John L. Smith leaves U of L". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on February 25, 2003. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  15. ↑ Video on YouTube
  16. ↑ Video on YouTube
  17. ↑ "ESPN". ESPN. November 2006.
  18. ↑ "Mark Dantonio". cstv.com.
  19. 1 2 arkansasnews.com Archived April 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine – Smith accepts Weber State job – December 6, 2011 – accessed March 13, 2012
  20. ↑ "John L. Smith named coach at Weber St". ESPN. Associated Press. December 5, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  21. ↑ Wojciechowski, Gene (April 23, 2012). "John L. Smith sports credibility issue". ESPN. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Arkansas fires Bobby Petrino". ESPN. April 11, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Arkansas hires John L. Smith as head coach - Yahoo! Sports". Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2014. – April 23, 2012
  24. ↑ Schad, Joe (April 23, 2012). "Arkansas rehires John L. Smith". ESPN . Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  25. ↑ University of Arkansas. "John L. Smith named football head coach". arkansasrazorbacks.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012.
  26. ↑ Neiswanger, Robbie (January 16, 2013). "John L. Smith Lands At Fort Lewis College". Arkansas News.
  27. ↑ Owens, Ryan (January 16, 2013). "John L. Smith is FLC's new football coach". Durango Herald.
  28. ↑ "Smith Resigns from Post; Rifilato Named Head Coach". Fort Lewis College Athletics.
  29. ↑ "John L. Smith announced as KSU's head football coach". Kentucky State University Athletics. December 7, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  30. ↑ Story, Mark (December 7, 2015). "John L. Smith says goal at Kentucky State is championships". Lexington Herald-Leader. Kentucky. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  31. ↑ Grant, Mike (December 12, 1997). "U of L's New 'hired gun' has hard-riding reputation". The Courier-Journal . Louisville, Kentucky. p. A1. Retrieved August 26, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  32. ↑ Grant, Mike (December 12, 1997). "U of L's New 'hired gun' rides hard into town (continued)". The Courier-Journal . Louisville, Kentucky. p. A6. Retrieved August 26, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  33. ↑ "Arkansas to hire coach with 49ers ties (but it isn't Greg Roman)". 49ers Blog. April 23, 2012. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Arkansas Razorbacks coach John L. Smith files Chapter 7 bankruptcy". ESPN. September 6, 2012.
  35. ↑ Arkansas coach John L. Smith files Chapter 7 bankruptcy over real estate that went bust – The Washington Post [ dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.