His 361 career victories rank No. 2 all-time in Florida history, and his teams have won six state championships and two mythical national titles over his 34-year career as the head coach at
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). But George Smith's coaching career is more than just about numbers, wins and losses or championship trophies.
Smith, 62, announced Monday that he is retiring from coaching after a distinguished career in which some 580 players went on to play football in college, 30 of them going on to play professionally.
More on George Smith's retirementThose who played for him, even those who perhaps never played in college, often visit or correspond with Smith long after they have graduated from high school. For example, there's the story of how every Christmas Eve, a former player named Mark Williams quietly leaves a card of thanks on Smith's doorstep. Another former player, Scott Murray, awarded Smith the Excalibur sword that Air Force cadets receive when they graduate. Those are just two of the numerous stories about how much Smith's former players cherish the lessons he taught them on and off the field.
Former NFL players Chris Carter and Michael Irvin have sent their sons to Aquinas because of the influence of Smith as a teacher and mentor. Former players often stop by the school to watch Aquinas' team practice each Thanksgiving — and the Raiders usually still are alive in the playoffs that time each year.
"Coach Smith is obviously a legend and an extraordinary personality, but what makes him so special is his selfless demeanor," University School (Fort Lauderdale) coach Roger Harriott told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel after hearing the news Monday. Harriott played on Smith's first state championship team at Aquinas in 1992.
Former Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach) coach Sam Budnyk, the winningest football coach in Palm Beach County history with 278 wins, has known Smith for 40-plus years. Budnyk said that what set Smith apart from so many other coaches was his compassion for all of the school's athletes in all sports and his ability as the Aquinas athletic director to promote success in all of the school's sports.
"He really, really did a heck of a job building a great athletics program," said Budnyk, who retired from coaching in 2003 after 44 years as a head football coach. "He wanted to succeed at all sports. He knew what he was doing. He was organized and bright. One of the things you have to give him credit for is, he developed most of his players. He did things his own way and he did them well. I'll bet you at least 90 percent of his kids have college degrees. He absolutely cared about them beyond the athletic arena."
Coach Smith, who will continue to be the athletic director at Aquinas, always was accommodating and his office door always was open, although there often was a waiting line to see him. I remember covering a playoff game at Aquinas several years ago, and after the game Smith opened up his office for a couple of us reporters to write our stories. He, meanwhile, was down the hall watching film of the game Aquinas had just won, already preparing notes for the next practice and the next opponent.
To this day, one of the most exciting and drama-packed high school games I ever witnessed as a reporter was the 2006 Class 5A state championship game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. Aquinas staged an unbelievable fourth-quarter rally but lost to Lakeland 45-42 in overtime. Smith opted to go for a touchdown on fourth down of the second OT period instead of kicking a field goal to tie and send the game to another OT period. Aquinas came up inches short of the goal line, although I'm still not so sure the Aquinas running back didn't score. It was that close. You could see the agony of defeat on Smith's face as reporters interviewed him on the field after that heartbreaking loss.
However, Aquinas would win the state title the next two years, including a 56-7 whipping of Lakeland in the 2008 Class 5A championship game. This past December, the Raiders notched state title No. 6, the last for Smith as their head coach.
Yes, he is going out with a state championship tucked in his back pocket, an exclamation point on his 361-66 career record that computes to an astounding .845 winning percentage. There is no doubt that his legacy will last forever in St. Thomas Aquinas lore, and all who have known him and played for him are richer for it.
"What he's done for the state of Florida has been incredible," Lakeland High head coach Bill Castle said of Smith, who compiled a remarkable 57-2 record over the past four seasons, including three state titles. "We've had so many great games and he's just had an unbelievable career. I'll miss him, and it won't be the same if we play St. Thomas again."
In typical George Smith fashion, there was not much fanfare Monday when he called an impromptu press conference to announce his retirement after telling his players of the decision and turning the reins of the football program over to defensive coordinator Rocco Casullo.
"I think he's brought a lot of recognition to south Florida," Cooper City coach Art Taylor told the Sun-Sentinel after hearing of Smith's retirement. "He's put in the years and built up a program that is by far one of the best in the country. It's time for coach Smith to get some rest, but I think it's a sad day for high school football."
Steve Dorsey, who covers the South Florida region for MaxPreps.com, is a freelance writer based in West Palm Beach. He has covered the South Florida high school sports scene for the past 29 years. He also is a contributing writer for American Football Monthly and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
