Sept. 1, 2009

Former SMU Head Football Coach Dave Smith lost his 11-year battle with cancer early Saturday, Aug. 30. Smith was an SMU assistant coach from 1963 to 1970 and head coach from 1973 to 1975.

"After 11 years of battling cancer, my dad is talking X's and O's with the greatest head coach," his son Greg said Sunday. "He went to be with the Lord."

A memorial service celebrating the life of Dave Smith is scheduled for Friday, September 4th, at 11 a.m. at McKinney Memorial Bible Church, located at 4805 Arborlawn Dr., Fort Worth, Texas 76109 (817-921-5200). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be donated to Coaches' Outreach, Oscar Roan Ministries and McKinney Memorial Bible Church.

Smith played quarterback at Texas A&M University. Following his collegiate career, he coached at Texas A&I University, San Antonio McArthur High School and Corsicana High School before leading Nederland High School to the Texas state championship game in 1961.

Following a successful season at Sherman High School, SMU hired Smith as an assistant coach. With Smith calling the plays as the team's offensive coordinator, the Mustangs set many NCAA passing records in the late 1960s.

Smith left SMU in 1971 and, as the team's offensive coordinator, led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers into the Canadian Football League playoffs for the first time in 13 years. A year later, Smith led Oklahoma State to its first winning record in nine seasons, prompting SMU to hire him as its head coach. Smith compiled a 16-15-2 record as the Mustangs' head coach. He returned to the CFL in 1976 to coach the Toronto Argonauts, then left football after one season to build homes in Dallas.

Smith returned to football as Garland High School's offensive coordinator in the early 1980s, then served as the athletic director for the Red Oak School District for one year. From 1985 to 1991, Smith was a Physical Education teacher for children with physical handicaps and Down syndrome in the DeSoto/Lancaster School District.

Smith retired in 1991 to Granbury "to play lots of golf and spend time with his wife, Judy."

Fighting cancer and visiting M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 49 times for treatment resulted in his father "having a much closer walk with the Lord," Greg said. "He and Judy had a great prayer ministry while at M.D. Anderson, and my relationship with him grew much more intimate."

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Story courtesy of Richard Day and The Examiner.com.