Lovie Smith Picked the Wrong Hill to Coach On

Lovie Smith once led the Chicago Bears to Super Bowl XLI. He later ran the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the University of Illinois and, briefly, the Houston Texans. So when his son Miles became head coach at Mesa’s Desert Ridge High School this year, and brought Dad along as a volunteer assistant, the Jaguars seemed to have hit the coaching lottery. After all, this was a program coming off an 0-10 season.

Less than one season later, both Smiths are gone. Moreover, the saga that got them there reads less like a playbook and more like a reality show pitch.

Photo Credit: Houston Chronicle

The Audible Heard Round the Valley

It started Oct. 2 against Vail Cienega. On the game’s final play, senior quarterback Gunner Brewer changed the call at the line, and his running back scored. Normally, that earns a slap on the helmet. Instead, Brewer says Miles Smith told him he had been disrespected, then cut him on Oct. 5.

In fairness to Brewer, he says his previous offensive coordinator had let him change plays. Unfortunately, that coordinator was fired at the end of September, and apparently the permission slip went with him.

A Show of Hands

On Oct. 7, the team met to discuss the dismissal. One player stood and asked who wanted Brewer back, and plenty of hands went up. A coach then reportedly said anyone who disagreed could leave. Twelve players, five of them seniors, took him up on it. As a result, all twelve were suspended for the rest of the season.

Athletic director Kevin Swann later emailed parents a gentler version. In his telling, the coach had simply invited players to share their thoughts.

Photo Credit: Football Scoop

Enter Lovie

Here’s where things get truly strange. Before the Oct. 9 game against Red Mountain, a booster reportedly walked into the locker room and photographed equipment strewn across the floor. Soon after, video surfaced of Lovie Smith confronting him and warning him never to enter that locker room again. Meanwhile, Miles could be seen holding his father back.

Keep in mind, this is a man who once matched wits with Bill Belichick. Now he was squaring off with a booster parent over a phone photo.

The Jaguars lost that night, 49-7. A week later, they fell 50-0 to Corona del Sol, a game the school refused to let the Arizona Republic cover.

Exit, Stage Left

On Oct. 19, the first day back from fall break, both Smiths resigned. Gilbert Public Schools initially said it hadn’t received anything official, though the principal confirmed the departures two days later. According to 12News, administrators now want to let some suspended players return. Brewer, however, says his high school career is over.

The Takeaway

Coaching legends are allowed to have bad weeks. Still, there’s a lesson here for every sideline, from the NFL down to Friday nights in Mesa. When a teenager’s audible produces a touchdown, the right response is a high five, not a pink slip.