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Homer Smith

1931 – 2011

American football player and coach

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About Homer Smith

Lived 1931 – 2011 (aged 79). Homer Smith was an American head coach and american football player.

Homer Austin Smith (October 9, 1931 – April 10, 2011) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Davidson College (1965–1969), the University of the Pacific (1970–1971), and the United States Military Academy (1974–1978), compiling a career college football record 53–71–1 and a bowl record of 0–1. Smith was also the offensive coordinator at the University of California, Los Angeles (1972–1973, 1980–1986, 1990–1993), the University of Alabama (1988–1989, 1994–1995), and the University of Arizona, and for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). In 1997, Smith was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top college football assistant coach.

Smith was named 1977 Eastern College Conference Coach of the Year and was presented an Outstanding Achievement Award by the American Football Coaches Association in 2006. As a player, he was a two-time All-East and All-Ivy League fullback at Princeton University. As a coach, Smith has his most success as offensive coordinator at UCLA where he paired with Terry Donahue to lead the Bruins to multiple Rose Bowls and top ten finishes.

In addition to his undergraduate degree from Princeton, he also received post-graduate degrees from Stanford Business School and Harvard Divinity School.

Smith died in 2011.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Princeton University, Harvard Divinity School, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Also known as
Homer Austin Smith

People in Homer Smith's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Homer Smith's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Homer Smith?

American football player and coach (1931–2011)

When was Homer Smith born?

Homer Smith was born on 9 October 1931 in Omaha.

When did Homer Smith die?

Homer Smith died on 10 April 2011 in Tuscaloosa.

What was Homer Smith's occupation?

Homer Smith was a head coach and american football player.

What nationality was Homer Smith?

Homer Smith was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Homer Smith

· Wikidata: Q5890229

· DBpedia: Homer Smith (American football)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Homer Smith. https://biography.guide/homer-smith/

MLA: "Homer Smith." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/homer-smith/.

Chicago: "Homer Smith." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/homer-smith/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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