John L. Back in Big Sky?

[Skippy]

The Weber State message board is abuzz with rumors that John L. Smith will return to the Big Sky when the Wildcats announce their new football coach tomorrow. What I remember most about John L. was his post-game comments to Brian McNeeley after he hung 70 points on the Bengals in 1994. "This was for your president breaking up the Big Sky Conference."

His reference, of course, was to Dick Bowen pushing for the Big Sky to go to Division II in the early 1990s, thereby giving Boise State and Idaho further impetus to "move up."

 

[SLCBengal]

The Salt Lake Tribune states it's a done deal...

Veteran football coach John L. Smith is coming home.

Weber State will hold a press conference Tuesday at 11 a.m. to announce that Smith will replace Ron McBride, who resigned last month after seven years at the school.

Read more: Salt Lake Tribune: John L. Smith Returning as Wildcats' Coach

 

[spudbowl]

I think John L hung 70 on McIneely because the Bengals were still blitzing while the game was well out of reach. I think John L said the same during the post-game.

Great news for the Wildcats, nice catch.

 

[sasquatch]

I've heard a lot of different versions of this as well. One that McNeely and a reporter both said is that McNeely ran towards John L. after the game to ask him what the $%*& that was all about, and John L. kept running off the field with his team, yelling back, "this is football, baby!"

Agreed, this is a nice pick up for Weber State and for the Big Sky.

 

[bhumble]

great get :notworthy: :notworthy:

 

[boisebengal]

John L. has been notorious for running up the score on various teams, for whatever reason -- not just against ISU. And this is why I don't have a lot of respect for the guy. One time when he was coaching Idaho, he ran up over 70 points on his alma mater, Weber. And another time about 13 years ago, when he was coaching at Utah State, he ran up over 65 on Idaho. The game was on Boise television at the time, and Jerry Kramer was doing the color and was extremely upset that he was doing this. And he asked John L. after the game why he would do such a thing, and Smith did his best to evade the question. He is a good coach though -- and honestly, I can't figure out why he didn't have a lot of success at Michigan State like he did the other schools that he coached at.