Farewell, Larry Smith

By Mark Buckets

Drive & Dish doesn't cover college football as adamantly as college hoops. It's natural. We write about basketball.

But I was saddened to hear of the passing of Larry Smith, the former coach at Arizona, USCand Missouri. It was during Smith's tenure at Missouri that I came to appreciate him as a coach and as a man.

I have no connection to the University of Missouri, where Smith ended his coaching career in 2000. But I have no doubt in my mind that he affected the lives of all he coached.

He wasn't Joe Paterno. He wasn't Bobby Bowden. He's not even a Hall of Fame candidate.

He was a teacher at heart- and had to endure a broken heart.

This was a guy who worked his way up the coaching ladder. He worked under Bo Schembechler at Miami of Ohio, and followed him to Michigan. Eventually, a big opportunity arose for Smith - the job at USC. He went to three straight Rose Bowls but never really etched his name into Trojan lore.

Everyone who has ever been touched by Smith is extremely grateful for the times they spent with him. Former players came to his aid as Smith valiantly fought - the same way he coached - and eventually succumbed to cancer.

The guy never quit on anything in his life.

One thing that will stand out to me - among other things - was the look of absolute shock and disbelief as number one Nebraska came into Columbia, stormed back from a huge deficit and beat Missouri on a freak play in overtime. The stars aligned for Smith that day. He had a chance to elevate his program under star quarterback Corby Jones that day. Just when he thought that day had came - his team lost a late lead and were beaten by Nebraska.

It was the look on Smith's face that struck a chord with me. It was a combination of awe and absolute hurt. As I examine the "look" years later, it wreaks of sadness. It was the look a youngster has after a long courtship of the opposite sex.

You know how it goes: the first few dates were rousing success. This is the girl that you really could yourself settling down with. And just as you have a false sense of security, she drops the bomb on you, and your world has crumbled.

A perfect microcosm of Larry Smith's coaching career.

Larry smiled after that play. Hands on hips, not knowing what to do. It defined Larry Smith as a man, and as a coach.

Larry Smith isn't a household name around the country. This was a man I could relate to early on in my life.

Bear Down, Fight On, and Hold that Tiger, Larry Smith.