PawneeSports
02-12-2006, 02:37 PM
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Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise News Article
Smith to coach Bruins?
Written by: Mike Tupa, E-E Sports Editor
Date: 01-13-2006 07:43:14 GMT
Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Bartlesville High didn't have to look much past its backyard for a happy ending in its quest for a new head football coach.
Ron Smith, who has guided Owasso to five-straight playoff appearances, is slated to become the sixth Bruin gridiron skipper.
Smith's hiring will be voted on today at noon by Bartlesville Public School Board.
“We are very pleased to be able to hire someone of his experience and credentials and the success he's had previously,” BPS Schools Superintendant Gary Quinn said this morning. “We think he'll do an excellent job of building Bruin football to a highly competitive level.”
Smith will be taking on a Bartlesville football program which has been to the playoffs only once the past 13 years and has had just one winning record and three 5-5 marks during that stretch.
The Bruins dipped to 1-9 last season during a rebuilding campaign of adversity in which the starting quarterback left the team after the second week, the returning leading rusher also departed early in the season and injuries depleted the depth on the offensive and defensive lines.
Smith takes the place of Greg Willis, who guided the program the past two years and resigned a few weeks after last season.
Owasso football is 36-21 the past five years, including a 2-5 mark in the postseason.
During that same five-year period, Bartlesville was 19-31 with one playoff loss. Five of Bartlesville's losses from 2001-05 were to Smith's Rams.
The Rams finished 7-3 in 2005, but had the misfortune of crashing into a brick wall, otherwise known as Tulsa Union, in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. Union won, 45-6, and went on to win the state championship three weeks later.
Prior to coaching at Owasso, Smith guided the Deer Creek program in Class 3A football for four seasons (1997-00).
The two years prior to his arrival, the Antlers were 8-12.
During Smith's tenure, Deer Creek went 5-5 in 1997, 3-7 in ‘98, 5-6 in ‘99, and won the state championship in 2000 with an 11-3 mark.
Smith's hiring by Owasso in 2001 turned out to be a winning package deal.
Smith's youngest son Paul had thrown for 3,077 yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore at Deer Creek in 2000.
With Paul Smith under center at Owasso in 2001-02, Owasso had cumulative record of 16-8, advancing to the second round of the playoffs each season.
Paul Smith, who recently addressed the adult chapter of the Bartlesville Fellowship of Christian Athletes, currently is the starting quarterback at the University of Tulsa.
He played an instrumental role in Tulsa's golden season in 2005, including a 9-4 record and victory against Fresno State in the Liberty Bowl.
Prior to going to Deer Creek, Ron Smith worked as an offensive coordinator at Midwest City, coaching on four state championship teams (1985, 1988, 1994 and 1995).
Following Willis' resignation in November, the school district worked to put together an incentive package to attract the best candidate possible.
The board recently approved some of the suggestions.
The new head coach will have to teach only two classes a day during the football season and three during the off-season.
In addition, the coach's contract is extended an extra month to cover the time he runs off-season conditioning programs.
Efforts to reach Smith by telephone on Wednesday night for a comment were unsuccessful.
He is slated to hold a press conference in Bartlesville later today.
In related news, the school board also is slated to vote on whether to name head men's basketball coach Tim Bart as the new assistant athletic director.
The position, as explained in the original proposal, deals mostly with public relations, fund raising and generally bolstering Bruin sports.
Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise News Article
Smith to coach Bruins?
Written by: Mike Tupa, E-E Sports Editor
Date: 01-13-2006 07:43:14 GMT
Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Bartlesville High didn't have to look much past its backyard for a happy ending in its quest for a new head football coach.
Ron Smith, who has guided Owasso to five-straight playoff appearances, is slated to become the sixth Bruin gridiron skipper.
Smith's hiring will be voted on today at noon by Bartlesville Public School Board.
“We are very pleased to be able to hire someone of his experience and credentials and the success he's had previously,” BPS Schools Superintendant Gary Quinn said this morning. “We think he'll do an excellent job of building Bruin football to a highly competitive level.”
Smith will be taking on a Bartlesville football program which has been to the playoffs only once the past 13 years and has had just one winning record and three 5-5 marks during that stretch.
The Bruins dipped to 1-9 last season during a rebuilding campaign of adversity in which the starting quarterback left the team after the second week, the returning leading rusher also departed early in the season and injuries depleted the depth on the offensive and defensive lines.
Smith takes the place of Greg Willis, who guided the program the past two years and resigned a few weeks after last season.
Owasso football is 36-21 the past five years, including a 2-5 mark in the postseason.
During that same five-year period, Bartlesville was 19-31 with one playoff loss. Five of Bartlesville's losses from 2001-05 were to Smith's Rams.
The Rams finished 7-3 in 2005, but had the misfortune of crashing into a brick wall, otherwise known as Tulsa Union, in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. Union won, 45-6, and went on to win the state championship three weeks later.
Prior to coaching at Owasso, Smith guided the Deer Creek program in Class 3A football for four seasons (1997-00).
The two years prior to his arrival, the Antlers were 8-12.
During Smith's tenure, Deer Creek went 5-5 in 1997, 3-7 in ‘98, 5-6 in ‘99, and won the state championship in 2000 with an 11-3 mark.
Smith's hiring by Owasso in 2001 turned out to be a winning package deal.
Smith's youngest son Paul had thrown for 3,077 yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore at Deer Creek in 2000.
With Paul Smith under center at Owasso in 2001-02, Owasso had cumulative record of 16-8, advancing to the second round of the playoffs each season.
Paul Smith, who recently addressed the adult chapter of the Bartlesville Fellowship of Christian Athletes, currently is the starting quarterback at the University of Tulsa.
He played an instrumental role in Tulsa's golden season in 2005, including a 9-4 record and victory against Fresno State in the Liberty Bowl.
Prior to going to Deer Creek, Ron Smith worked as an offensive coordinator at Midwest City, coaching on four state championship teams (1985, 1988, 1994 and 1995).
Following Willis' resignation in November, the school district worked to put together an incentive package to attract the best candidate possible.
The board recently approved some of the suggestions.
The new head coach will have to teach only two classes a day during the football season and three during the off-season.
In addition, the coach's contract is extended an extra month to cover the time he runs off-season conditioning programs.
Efforts to reach Smith by telephone on Wednesday night for a comment were unsuccessful.
He is slated to hold a press conference in Bartlesville later today.
In related news, the school board also is slated to vote on whether to name head men's basketball coach Tim Bart as the new assistant athletic director.
The position, as explained in the original proposal, deals mostly with public relations, fund raising and generally bolstering Bruin sports.