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Charles "Lefty" Smith is in his 40th year as an employee in the Notre Dame athletics department, beginning with his hiring in 1968 as the school's first varsity hockey coach. Smith came on board prior to the completion of the Joyce Center (at that time known as the Athletic and Convocation Center), which actually made him the first Joyce Center employee. In his current role, he oversees all activities within the Loftus Sports Center. Smith coached the Irish for the next 19 seasons, amassing a 307-320-30 record, including runner-up finishes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in 1973 and 1977. Smith himself was named the WCHA Coach of the Year in 1973 and turned out numerous All-Americans, including two-time honoree Jack Brownschidle (1976-77), 1976-77 WCHA Most Valuable Player Brian Walsh, 1980 All-American (and 2005 NCAA Silver Anniversary recipient) Greg Meredith, and 1982 Hobey Baker Award finalist (and eventual NHL standout) Dave Poulin. What's more, all 126 players who completed their collegiate eligibility under Smith's tutelage earned their college degrees. Smith served as the President of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) for two years and also was the head coach of the at-large team in the first-ever National Sports Festival in 1978. Eight members of that team would go on to be part of the gold-medal winning 1980 United States Olympic hockey team. Smith was inducted into the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1992. He also played an integral role in bringing the International Special Olympics to Notre Dame in 1987, the highlight of a 10-year affiliation with that movement. Also in 1987, Smith stepped away from coaching to take over the opening of the Loftus Sports Center (now the Guglielmino Athletics Complex). Smith graduated from St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minn., and also a masters' degree in guidance and counseling. While at St. Thomas, he was a four-year letterwinner in both hockey and baseball, going on to play both sports at the semi-pro level in Minneapolis. Smith began teaching after leaving the Minneapolis Millers (United States Hockey League) in 1953, and became an assistant football and baseball coach plus the head hockey coach until 1968 when he left for Notre Dame. Married for 56 years, Smith and his wife are the proud parents of seven living children, with 16 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. |
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