With credibility and morale surrounding UBC football at an all-time low, it was hoped fortunes would change with the 1974 hiring of Frank Smith as the school's new head football coach. It did not take long before it was realized that this was exactly what both the program and UBC needed.
Smith, who coached high school, Junior College and University football the previous 18 seasons, took hold of UBC football and turned it around completely. Hard work, the desire to win and the ability to spot and attract football talent were Smith's strengths that helped transform UBC into one of the most respected and successful programs in the country. In fact, it took him only two years to turn a one-win, eight-loss team into a league champion. All this despite the fact cross-town rival SFU was attracting much of the football attention and local talent.
From 1974 through 1994 Smith's teams thrived, winning the Western Intercollegiate football championship five times and the Canadian championship Vanier Cup twice, in 1982 and 1986. Against SFU, Smith's Shrum Bowl record was an impressive 8 wins, 4 losses. Between 1985 and 1987 his teams won 22 consecutive games against Canadian competition. No other football coach in UBC history can compare. None has won as many games - 126 - nor as many league championships as Smith. He is the only UBC football coach ever to win two Canadian championships and it is considered by TSN analysts that his 1982 champion team just might be the best football team in U SPORT history. He was further able to gain national recognition for UBC when on two occasions - 1978 and 1987 - he was selected as Canada's University Football Coach of the Year, receiving the Frank Tindall trophy for this honour. In addition, his 21 years as a UBC head coach is surpassed in longevity by only a few coaches from this school's history.
Frank Smith can also take pride in the fact he has had a strong influence in the development of many outstanding players. Since taking over the reins at UBC, 47 of his players went on to play in the CFL, including stars such as Kevin Konar, Don Moen, Leo Groenewegen, and Vince Danielsen.
What are the qualities Frank Smith possessed that produced these results so dramatic relative to the pre-Smith era? "He's a man who's extremely dedicated, almost driven by the desire to develop outstanding football talent and a winning program. He's a unique personality," says retired SFU Athletic Director Lorne Davies who, despite the rivalry between their two schools, remains respectful of Smith. According to Cal Murphy, Smith's former high school teammate and well-known former CFL coach and general manager, "He works hard at his job and he expects people to work as hard as he does." One quickly recognizes Smith's no-nonsense approach to the game, a contributing factor to the success UBC experienced, as well as the fact he does not tolerate undue hype, is precise, honest and straight forward.
Growing up in the tough environment of Vancouver orphanages during the 1930s and '40s, football provided for the competitive Smith both a fascination and an outlet. He played football at Vancouver College and later at Olympic Junior College at Bremerton, Washington. In 1953, 1955 and 1956 Smith played in the CFL with Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton and the B.C. Lions. It was during his time with the Lions in '56 that he began his coaching career, helping the kids at Notre Dame High School.
To give an indication as to Smith's profile at UBC, his 1994 departure from this school's coaching ranks was characterized by front page news coverage as well as national news on TSN. He was identified with UBC, the two were synonymous. The success of football at Point Grey was unquestionably linked with Frank Smith. UBC had gone from being an embarrassment in football to become the toast of the country, a source of pride for the school.
His legacy at UBC did live on through his late son Casey, but UBC has missed Frank's competitiveness, his presence as the consummate disciplinarian, his high-profile status, his enigmatic and successful style and the fact he was, in the words of SFU's Davies, "Just a stern teddy bear."
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
Frank Smith Coaching Facts and Figures
- UBC W-L record - 126 wins, 94 losses, 4 ties
- Hardy Cup victories: 1976, '78, '82, '86, '87
- Vanier Cup appearances: 1978, '82, '86, '87
- Vanier Cup victories: 1982, '86
Holds following UBC football coaching records:
- Seasons coached - 21
- Victories - 126
- Consecutive victories - 22
- Shrum Bowl victories - 8
- Points in one season - 466
- Vanier Cups - 2
- Vanier Appearances - 4
- Hardy Cups - 5
- CIAU (CIS) Coach of the Year - 2
Since Smith left UBC in 1994 he served as an Assistant Coach with both the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the B.C. Lions, retiring from football in 2000. In 2003 Coach Smith together with his 1982 Thunderbird football team received induction into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame and in 2008 Smith received the Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the B.C. Lions' Orange Helmet Awards banquet at Vancouver's Westin Bayshore. In 2012 in addition to his UBC Sports Hall of Fame induction, Smith was inducted into the British Columbia Football Hall of Fame and has since been inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the CFL Hall of Fame.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
