The hiring of Georgia State running backs coach Jimmy Smith to the same position at Arkansas is a great move by coach Sam Pittman, according to some Georgia high school coaches.
Smith turned Cedar Grove High School into a powerhouse as the head coach by winning two Class AAA state championships in 2016 and 2018 along with berths in the state final four in 2015 and 2017. He had a record of 67-14-1 in six seasons before joining the Georgia State staff in March 2019.
Alpharetta (Ga.) Denmark coach Terry Crowder worked with Smith during the Georgia North-South All-Star Game.
“He had great sucess at the high school level in Georgia with a couple of state championships,” Crowder said. “I was able to coach with him in an All-Star game last year and got to know him and he’s such a personable guy. The kids on the team loved him. The coaches in Georgia love him. In Georgia, he’s so well thought of and such a great guy.”
An Arkansas graduate and Fort Smith native, Crowder is thrilled to see Smith in Fayetteville.
Crowder won a state title in 2003 at Camden County as the defensive coordinator, and in 2010 he won the Class AAAA state championship as head coach of Chattahoochee High School.
Smith is expected to recruit Georgia for the Razorbacks. Crowder sees Smith being an excellent recruiter and compares his ability to relate to kids to that of Arkansas receivers coach Justin Stepp.
“I think coach Stepp has the same knack in getting in with kids,” Crowder said. “Coach Stepp attracts kids and coach Smith is the same way. Kids just naturally gravitate toward him. He can be tough on them and they can still respond, and they know he cares about them. Just a great, great personality.”
Because one of his players signed with Georgia State, Crowder was able to watch Smith interact with college-age players.
“It was really cool to see him coach the college kids,” Crowder said. “You just saw the same attraction of even the older guys gravitating toward him. I know he’s going to be very successful on the collegiate level. I believe he’ll be a great asset for Arkansas.”
Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinty Catholic coach Tim McFarlin holds Smith in high regards after butting heads with Smith several times.
“We kept running into each other for the region championship,” McFarlin said. “I mean multiple, multiple times when he was at Cedar Grove. They were always, always great games. They were good and we were good and it went down to the wire, but through it all, even though it was very competitive, we just always remained good friends. It was just mutual respect.
“He elevated the program there in a short period of time and really put them on the map.”
McFarlin led the Titans to a third straight Class AAAA state title this past season and now has a 186-73-2 record in 39 years as a head coach. He also spoke highly about Smith’s ability to interact with kids.
“He just has a way with kids,” McFarlin said. “I watched him coach when he was in the All-Star game. He’s one of those guys kids are attracted to and he knows what he’s talking about.”
McFarlin is a three-time Class AAAA Coach of the Year and the 2018 National Catholic Coach of the Year by Global Football and Catholic Athletes for Christ.
Veteran college coach and former Arkansas defensive coordinator John Thompson served as Blessed Trinity's defensive coordinator during McFarlin’s first state title at the school. McFarlin said Thompson predicted big things for Smith several years ago.
“John and I were talking about Jimmy before he ever went to Georgia State and John said he’s going to be a college guy real soon and a good one,” McFarlin said. “Jimmy is one of those guys that had it written all over him. You just knew he was going to be one of those fellows. I’m glad to see him in the SEC. He’ll do great.”
McFarlin sees Smith becoming a great asset for Arkansas in recruiting the state.
“Kids are drawn to him,” McFarlin said. “He’s a tall guy, good-looking guy. He’s always smiling. He’s got a magnetic personality and I think he’s one of those guys, particularly if they left him back in Georgia, I think he can walk into a door of the school and he’s going to have an immediate connection with Georgia coaches, particularly in the Atlanta-metro area and Cobb County. There are some really, really talented football programs that Jimmy will have an impact on in a hurry.”
Being a good recruiter and coach is a must on the college level, McFarlin said.
“I think he’s a solid football coach,” McFarlin said. “Nowadays at that level you have to be able to carry both bags. The recruiting, he’s a natural. But I also think he’s a very good football coach. The times I saw him in tight games he never panicked. He doesn’t get too high or too low. His temperament is really good for the game. I think Arkansas has picked up a great coach.”
Mableton (Ga.) Pebblebrook coach and Arkansas native LeRoy Hood was able to meet Smith several times at coaching clinics.
“He’s very respected not only because of the championships and the winning he’s done in the past but because of the the types of relationships he has with other coaches,” Hood said. “He’s a wealth of knowledge. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t hesitate to help anyone as far as guys trying to advance in their careers as well as just being a great guy.
"You can tell he loves his kids.”