Carnie Smith Explained

Carnie Smith
Birth Date:29 January 1911
Birth Place:Weir, Kansas, U.S.
Death Place:Pittsburg, Kansas, U.S.
Player Sport1:Football
Player Years2:1930–1932
Player Team2:Kansas
Player Sport3:Baseball
Player Years4:1931–1932
Player Team4:Kansas
Player Positions:Quarterback (football)
Coach Sport1:Football
Coach Years2:1933–1934
Coach Team2:West Mineral HS (KS)
Coach Years3:1935–1940
Coach Team3:Paola HS (KS)
Coach Years4:1946
Coach Team4:Parsons (KS)
Coach Years5:1947
Coach Team5:California (GA)
Coach Years6:1948
Coach Team6:Santa Rosa
Coach Years7:1949–1966
Coach Team7:Pittsburg State
Coach Sport8:Basketball
Coach Years9:1933–1935
Coach Team9:West Mineral HS (KS)
Coach Years10:1946–1947
Coach Team10:Parsons (KS)
Admin Years1:1966–1976
Admin Team1:Pittsburg State
Overall Record:116–52–6 (college football)
Bowl Record:1–0
Tournament Record:3–0 (NAIA playoffs)
Championships:2 NAIA (1957, 1961)
6 CIC (1949, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1966)
Awards:NAIA Coach of the Year (1961)
First-team All-Big Six (1930)
Second-team All-Big Six (1931)

Carnie Henry Smith (January 29, 1911 – January 25, 1979) was an American college football player and coach. Smith was the seventh head football coach at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. He held that position for 18 seasons, from 1949 until 1966, compiling a record of 116–52–6. His teams won NAIA football national championships in 1957 and 1961.[1] The football stadium at Pittsburg State, Carnie Smith Stadium, is named in his honor.

Smith starred as a quarterback at Arma High School in Arma, Kansas, and then played football and baseball at the University of Kansas. In 1944, Smith was working as assistant director of recreation at a Pratt & Whitney plant before he was commissioned as a lietentant in the United States Naval Reserve.[2] After serving in the Navy during World War II, he coached football and basketball at Parsons Junior College—now known as Labette Community College—in Parsons, Kansas. Smith went to the University of California, Berkeley in 1947, where he served as a graduate assistant for the football team under Pappy Waldorf and earned a master's degree in physical education. In 1948, he was hired as the head football coach at Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, California.[3]

Smith died on January 25, 1979, at his home in Pittsburg, following a long illness.[4]

Head coaching record

College football

[5]

Junior college football

Notes and References

  1. News: Currie . Bill . Pittsburg's Carnie Smith 'Mr. Football' In Kansas . . . December 1, 1957 . 4C . August 17, 2024 . .
  2. News: . Carnie Smith In Navy . . . April 2, 1944 . 1B . August 18, 2024 . .
  3. News: . Carnie Smith Named Bear Cub Grid Coach . . . April 8, 1948 . 8 . August 18, 2024 . .
  4. News: . Smith dies at age 69 . . . . January 26, 1979 . 13 . August 17, 2024 . .
  5. Web site: . NCAA Statistics; Coach; Carnie H. Smith . . August 17, 2024 .