Fort Lewis College head football coach John L. Smith is profiled in story on Sports Illustrated’s website. The story, written by Lindsay Schnell, chronicles Smith’s journey from six Division I coaching stops, including Arkansas, Louisville and Michigan State, to Division II Fort Lewis.
Smith compared the humble life of a Division II coach to the luxuries of coaching in the Southeastern Conference.
Of note, Smith is tasked with raising a quarter of the program’s $400,000 budget. Now, he also takes long, grueling bus trips over mountain passes, compared with hopping aboard quick flights to opponents’ cities.
Quoted in the article is Durango’s Jordan Gillen, a redshirt sophomore wide receiver.
The biggest hurdle? Making the Skyhawks a winner. FLC went 4-7 in Smith’s first season and is currently 3-7 with one game to play today, guaranteeing the team’s eighth consecutive losing season. The process is slower than Smith imagined.
It certainly isn’t the SEC.
Herald Staff
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