John L. Smith
So they’re blowing up on twitter about Arkansas hiring John L. Smith as interim coach to feel the void left by the firing of Bobby Petrino.
But here’s five reasons it’s a smart move:
- Petrino was an assistant under John L. at Louisville; Smith will keep his offensive system.
- Before just leaving three months ago to coach his alma mater at Weber State, Smith was an assistant on Petrino’s staff at Arkansas, so he knows the personnel. And personnel knows him.
- Smith has also worked with the Arkansas assistants, so he knows the staff.
- Smith has head coaching experience, both at Louisville and Michigan State.
- After being fired at Michigan State, Smith would no doubt love another chance to prove he can be a head coach at a BCS school. He’s got 10 months to show he can.
Meanwhile Smith screws over Weber State in the middle of spring football and leaves them without a head coach and he leaves without ever having coached a game.
Classy move there John L.
Mark Liptak
John:
I have to strongly disagree with what you wrote today. (Wednesday column)
Weber State and their players INCLUDING the ones he just recruited deserve the same respect as Arkansas, Kentucky or Syracuse. Because they are at a smaller level changes nothing.
I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with John L. (whom I’ve known since he was the coach at Idaho) if Arkansas came to him, but like his good friend Petrino, he contacted them knowing he had a deal with Weber State and knowing he made a commitment to the new recruits.
Petrino contacted Auburn while the head coach at Louisville (if memory serves) and that was bush and frankly so is what Smith did.
I’m disappointed that you don’t seem to see that.
As much as I think Joker is a clown and a bad coach at least I respect him for trying to do things with class, I can’t say that about John L.
Here’s a story about him that you might find interesting. Back in 1994 Boise State and Idaho left the Big Sky Conference to make the move to the Division 1 level. Idaho State’s president Dick Bowen spoke out against the move to the State Board of Education when they were debating giving those schools permission to do so.
ISU went up to Moscow to play Idaho and got absolutely hammered, like 70-3….I don’t remember the final score but what I do remember is ISU’s head coach Brian McNeely, telling me that after the game when the coaches met to shake hands, Smith shook his hand and said, “that’s for your president…”
Class guy that John L. isn’t he?