George Smith
St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Impact Statement
“Coach Smith is obviously a legend and an extraordinary personality, but what makes him so special is his selfless demeanor.” -Roger Harriott, University School Head Coach
Biography
After taking the reins as head football coach in 1975, Smith could be found hammering nails and pouring concrete into what would become the visiting bleachers at the school’s football stadium.
Smith, 62, then built a program that became renowned at the state and national levels. He retired this spring after 34 seasons at the helm of the Raiders, building a 361-66 record in two separate stints and leading St. Thomas to 13 state championship games and six state titles – four in Class 5A and two in 4A.
Smith stepped down after St. Thomas won its first state title in 1992. He returned for the 1995 season and led the Raiders to the state playoffs in all 16 seasons of his second stint, adding state titles in 1997, 1999, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Overall, his teams earned 26 playoff berths and posted a 64-20 playoff record (only Charles “Corky” Rogers of Jacksonville Bolles School, the NHSCA’s National Coach of the Year in 2005, with 66 playoff wins, has more).
His 2008 team finished the season ranked No. 1 by the NHSCA and by USA Today, which named Smith its National High School Coach of the Year that year. His final team in 2010, which finished 15-0, also earned national title honors and the NHSCA’s No. 3 ranking.
Smith, who came to St. Thomas in 1972 as wrestling coach, has been elected to the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the Florida Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame and the Broward County Sports Bureau Hall of Fame. He will remain the school’s athletic director.
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