Elmer Smith (American football)

Elmer Smith (September 15, 1907 – 1987) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. Smith served as the head basketball coach Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana from 1939 to 1942 before taking on the head football coaching duties at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas from 1946 to 1953.[1] After leaving Southern Arkansas, he was an assistant football coach at Texas A&M University under coaches Bear Bryant, Jim Myers, Hank Foldberg, and Gene Stallings.[2]

Smith was born on September 15, 1907, in Casa, Arkansas, and graduated from Danville High School in Danville, Arkansas.[3] He was a multi-sport athlete at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, lettering in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field, before graduating in 1931 with a bachelor's degree in economics.[4] He earned a master's degree in physical education from Peabody College. Smith began his coaching career in 1931 at Hamburg High School in Hamburg, Arkansas, where he led the football team in a record of 18–2 in two seasons. He then returned to Hendrix as an assistant coach. Smith was hired at Centenary as an assistant coach in 1936, succeeding Elza Renfro.[5] He remained at Centenary until 1942, when joined the United States Navy, reaching the rank of lieutenant commander.[6]