The biggest name in team sports in Durango gained more national attention Friday.
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
