Canadian Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Smith has died at the age of 93.
The native of Vancouver, B.C. served as the head coach for University of British Columbia Thunderbirds from 1974 to 1994, winning eight Shrum Bowls, five Hardy Trophies, two Vanier Cups, and two CIAU Coach of the Year awards. In total, Smith posted a record of 126-94-4 with the Thunderbirds.
“Most recognize Coach Frank Smith’s success with wins and losses, but when you look at the careers and lives of those athletes who benefited from his mentorship you see another measure of his greatness,” said current UBC head coach Blake Nill in a statement.
The program produced 47 CFL players during Smith’s tenure with the team, including Toronto Argonauts legend Don Moen, three-time All-CFL offensive lineman Leo Groenewegen, All-CFL defensive back Laurent DesLauriers, and two-time Grey Cup champion Vince Danielsen.
Smith played four seasons in the CFL as a member of the Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Football Team, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and B.C. Lions. He also coached with the Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders after he left UBC.
“No one has had a bigger impact on UBC football than Frank Smith,” said UBC managing director of athletics and recreation Kavie Toor. “Under his leadership the Thunderbirds football program became one of the best in the nation, but his lasting legacy really lies with the players he impacted over the years.”
He was inducted into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
“Frank Smith was a master recruiter, who could see a player’s potential in high school before they even began to fill out their frame. He also had an uncanny ability to sum up a player’s character in a brief conversation,” said Jason ‘Mad Dog’ Riley. “He filled his roster with athletic, coachable, team-oriented young men he could mold into champions — men he could go to war with.”
