Update: It’s confirmed. Smith signed a 10-month deal worth $850,000 (plus incentives). Athletics director Jeff Long said he anticipates naming a permanent head coach after this season. Smith will be introduced on Tuesday. See full press release below.
Original post:
Arkansas will soon announce John L. Smith as its new interim head football coach on a one-year deal, the internet reported Monday.
Smith spent the last three seasons as special teams coach for the Razorbacks before becoming head coach at Weber State. He was head coach at Louisville from 1998 to 2002, and at Michigan State from 2003 to 2006.
Smith will replace Bobby Petrino who was fired for failing to disclose his affair with a female staff member who he’d recently hired and given $20,000 in cash. The relationship was revealed after his April 1 motorcycle crash.
Sources: Associated Press, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports
Immediate reactions
Joe Schad – ESPN (@schadjoe):
John L Smith brings familiarity to a roster of Arkansas players who may have rejected an outsider
Dan Wetzel – Yahoo Sports (@DanWetzel):
Arkansas has shot at national title, team deserved an experienced head coach. John L is a worthwhile gamble in unique circumstance
Robbie Neiswanger – Arkansas News Bureau (@NWARobbie):
One important thing to note: both Arkansas coordinators (Paul Petrino and Paul Haynes) know Smith well. Haynes worked for him at Michigan St
Knile Davis – Arkansas Running Back (@Boobie_Knile):
The happiest day of my life… hearing that John L.Smith is coming back to the ville to b our head coach…#priceless
Julian Horton – Arkansas Wide Receiver (@JulianHorton12):
If #JLS is the new man in charge… #ThankYouLord
Official press release
After nearly four decades in collegiate coaching, including head coaching positions at five previous institutions, John L. Smith is returning to the University of Arkansas to serve as the head football coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks it was announced by vice chancellor and director of athletics Jeff Long on Monday. Smith will be formally introduced at a press conference on the University of Arkansas campus on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Smith enters his 40th year of coaching and his 19th as a head coach. Arkansas is Smith’s sixth head coaching position following stints at Idaho, Utah State, Louisville, Michigan State and most recently at his alma mater, Weber State. As a head coach, Smith has a 132-86 overall record and produced six conference champions (two Conference USA, two Big West and two Big Sky). Twelve of his 18 teams participated in postseason play. Smith is one of 19 head coaches in collegiate football history to take three different schools to a bowl game.
Smith served as the Razorbacks’ special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach for the 2009-11 seasons before departing last December for Weber State. He has previously worked with eight of the nine members of the Razorbacks’ assistant coaching staff.
“I am extremely pleased to welcome Coach John L. Smith back to the Razorback program as our new head football coach,” Long said. “Coach Smith brings a wealth of football knowledge, BCS conference head coaching experience, passion for the game and a close familiarity with the current team and coaching staff. I firmly believe that his selection is in the best interests of the young men in our program and will also best serve the mission of our football program and university in achieving success on and off the field in the upcoming season and in the long term.
“When Coach Smith first approached me about returning to Arkansas to serve in this position, he talked about his desire to be a part of the continued success of these student-athletes, this coaching staff and the Razorback program. He has been a part of the record-breaking success we have enjoyed in the past few seasons. Coach Smith understands the commitment our players have made to building upon that success and meeting the goals that have been set for the upcoming season. I also have a tremendous amount of confidence in our assistant coaches and believe that under Coach Smith’s leadership they will be able to continue to flourish in their current roles.”
Smith, 63, signed a 10-month letter of agreement with a compensation package of $850,000. Smith will also be eligible for performance and academic achievement incentives.
“I am tremendously excited to have this special opportunity to return to Arkansas and lead the Razorback football program,” Smith said. “During my coaching career, I have always been dedicated to developing student-athletes to their fullest potential. In the last couple of weeks, I came to the realization I could provide guidance and stability to a program I’m extremely invested in. While at Arkansas, we worked to make the Razorbacks a top 5 team and much of the credit for that goes to the student-athletes. Throughout the spring, the assistant coaches and student-athletes have shown incredible focus and character, which we will use to build on as we work to achieve our goals for 2012. I want to thank President (Donald) Bobbitt, Chancellor (David) Gearhart and Jeff Long for the trust they have shown in me.”
Smith returns to Arkansas where he spent the last three seasons as special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach. In December of 2011, he accepted the head coaching position at Weber State.
Smith’s special teams groups dominated in 2011, as Arkansas boasted the SEC’s individual leader in punt returns, punting and kick scoring. Last season, Joe Adams became the first recipient of the Johnny Rodgers Award, presented to the nation’s top returner. Adams led the NCAA and tied an SEC single-season record with four punt return touchdowns and was second in the NCAA with his average of 16.9 yards per punt return. Arkansas returned an NCAA-leading six kicks for touchdowns, scoring four punt return touchdowns and two kickoff return touchdowns. Dylan Breeding became the first Razorback to lead the SEC in punting, with an average of 45.28, which ranked seventh nationally. Kicker Zach Hocker’s average of 9.1 points per game led the SEC in kick scoring and finished seventh in the nation.
On defense, Smith helped transfer Alonzo Highsmith make an immediate impact as the junior led the team with 12.5 tackles for loss and finished third on the team with 80 total tackles. Fellow outside linebacker Jerico Nelson was fifth on the team with 70 tackles and tied for fourth among the Razorbacks with four quarterback hurries.
Smith’s impact was easy to spot in 2010 as Arkansas made the first BCS appearance in program history. Punt returner Joe Adams ranked second in the Southeastern Conference and fifth nationally in punt return average (15.56). Zach Hocker was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after going 56-of-56 on PAT attempts to rank second in the SEC and tie for 12th nationally. It was the third-highest PAT total in program history. Hocker’s 104 points scored was the fourth-highest total in school history and the third highest by a kicker. Hocker’s .842 field goal percentage ranked third in the SEC and tied for 21st in the NCAA and was the third-best single-season percentage (min. 10 attempts) in school history.
From 2003-06, Smith was the head coach at Michigan State and led the Spartans to a 22-26 overall record. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2003 after posting the most wins by a first-year head coach in MSU history with an 8-4 record. During his time in East Lansing, 41 of his student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Prior to Michigan State, Smith spent five seasons at Louisville (1998-2002), where he led the Cardinals to then-unprecedented success. He posted a 41-21 record including five straight bowl appearances and back-to-back Conference USA titles in 2000-01. The five bowl trips equaled the number of postseason appearances Louisville had made prior to his arrival and the five consecutive winning seasons marked a first for the program.
Smith spent three seasons as head coach at Utah State prior to Louisville. He finished with a 16-18 record in three seasons after taking over a program that had produced only two winning seasons in the previous 15 years. Smith led the Aggies to consecutive Big West crowns in 1996-97. In 1997, Utah State earned a trip to the Humanitarian Bowl marking the second bowl appearance for the school since 1961.
Smith arrived at Utah State following six seasons at Idaho where he became the winningest coach in school history. His six-year mark of 53-21 at Idaho included a 34-11 Big Sky Conference record and five postseason appearances.
Before becoming a head coach, Smith spent two years as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Washington State (1987-88) where he served under Dennis Erickson. He also was Erickson’s assistant head coach at Wyoming during the 1986 season. Smith began his first stint at Idaho in 1982, serving as Erickson’s defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for four years (1982-85).
Smith’s coaching experience includes stops at Nevada (1977-81) and Montana (1972-76). During his tenure as defensive coordinator at Nevada, the Wolf Pack led the nation in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense in 1980. He began his coaching career in 1971 as a graduate assistant at Weber State.
A linebacker and a quarterback at Weber State, Smith earned Big Sky Conference scholar-athlete honors in 1971-72. He received his undergraduate degree in physical education with a minor in math in 1971. Smith earned a master’s of science degree in physical education from the University of Montana in 1974.
Smith lettered in three sports – football, basketball and track – while attending Bonneville High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He is married to the former Diana Flora. They are parents of three children, Nicholas, Kayse and Sam.
Long announced the University of Arkansas will continue to evaluate the program and the head coaching position in anticipation of naming a head coach following the 2012 season. The current appointment will allow the program to identify a head coach for the future of the program in a timeframe that is more conducive to attracting the potential candidates expected for one of the nation’s premier football head coaching positions.
John L. Smith coaching history
April 2012 – Arkansas (Head Coach)
Dec. 2011 – April 2012 Weber State (Head Coach)
2009 – Dec. 2011 – Arkansas (Special Teams Coor./Outside Linebackers)
2003-06 – Michigan State (Head Coach)
1998-2002 – Louisville (Head Coach)
1995-97 – Utah State (Head Coach)
1989-94 – Idaho (Head Coach)
1987-88 – Washington State (Asst. Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator)
1986 – Wyoming (Asst. Head Coach)
1982-85 – Idaho (Asst. Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator)
1977-81 – Nevada (Defensive Coordinator)
1972-76 – Montana (Assistant Coach)
1971 – Weber State (Graduate Assistant)
John L. Smith profile
Birthdate: Nov. 15, 1948
Family: Wife, Diana; Children; Nicholas, Kayse and Sam
Education: Bonneville HS (Idaho Falls, Idaho), 1967; Weber State, B.S. in physical education, 1971; Montana, M.S. in physical education, 1974
Bowl Games: 2011 Sugar Bowl; 2010 Liberty Bowl; 2003 Alamo Bowl; 2002 GMAC Bowl; 2001 Liberty Bowl; 2000 Liberty Bowl; 1999 Humanitarian Bowl; 1998 Motor City Bowl; 1997 Humanitarian Bowl
