By: Jay Hoberecht
There is a family in Covington, Oklahoma that has experienced something special over the past seven years. It’s the Smith family! Brian Smith is the Dad and Pre-K through twelfth grade Principal at Covington-Douglas Schools. He calls himself the referee! There is Tiffany Smith, the Mom and Technology Coordinator at Covington Schools. Brian calls her the enforcer! They have two sons, Parker, 20, an equipment manager for OSU quarterbacks and Ford, 17, a C-D senior quarterback. The two boys were very competitive growing up. Ford mentioned that Parker or he was crying every day growing up because of a video game loss. Parker and Ford were really close growing up and remain close today.
In a way, this scenario has been played out many times across out state; fathers and mothers coaching sons and daughters. But this is an end to an era. Coach Smith has coached one of his sons for the past six years and two of his sons for one year (2020). Actually, counting his brother’s sons, he has been coaching a family member since 2009. Coach Smith called the experience “some added pressure” with big expectations and probably some pressure on the kids and their friends. He wouldn’t change a thing, an opportunity of a lifetime.
Coach Brian Smith grew up in Covington and graduated from Covington-Douglas High School in 1993. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education In 1998. He earned a Masters of Education in Administration degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2007. Coach Smith is 50-24 coaching his sons. This is his 26th year to coach and his 23rd year at Covington-Douglas.
So, I sat down with Coach Smith and his son Ford, senior quarterback on the undefeated Wildcat football program (5-0 as of October 10, Class B DII Number 3) to find out what it was like having a Dad as your head coach growing up. Ford was the Wildcat water boy in fourth grade. He likes playing for his Dad. The two never take much home. Ford plays all the sports football, basketball, baseball and track plus he is on the academic team. It was clear that Ford is competitive and doesn’t like to lose. He remembers the controversial loss at Velma-Alma last season.
