7-29-99 PLEASE NOTE: My scanner is giving me problems and until the problems are solved, I am unable to add to this page as I'd intended. My apologies of course to Coach Smith, who so generously has offered to contribute, and to all the coaches out ther who would like to read some more of his materials. Please keep checking back.
COACH HOMER SMITH
Even to those familiar with his name and his career, Coach Homer Smith is thought of primarily as an offensive coach, and a passing coach at that, a reputation well-earned through his work as offensive coordinator at UCLA, Alabama and Arizona. Quite often, the word "genius" is used to describe him.
But he has been deeply involved in all aspects of the game of football, serving as head coach at three places where winning has seldom been easy - Davidson College, The U.S. Military Academy, and the University of the Pacific (which no longer even plays football).
And his broad offensive expertise goes well beyond the passing game, stretching from his playing career as a single-wing fullback at Princeton, to his co-authorship, with Pepper Rodgers, of "Installing Football's Wishbone T Attack."
Along the way, Coach Smith has developed a great knowledge of, and high regard for, the history of our game - the lessons to be learned from it, and the penalties in store for those who ignore it.
Now retired from active coaching and living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Coach Smith is working harder than ever, putting together the lessons he has learned - and taught - in a series of pamphlets, so that younger coaches might become more knowledgeable about our game.
I have been fortunate in being able to persuade Coach Smith to contribute to this web site on a regular basis, in the belief that if enough coaches read his writing and recognize the wisdom it contains, they may be interested in acquiring his pamphlets for their libraries.