North Central College Athletics

Although Smith is a very common name, there was nothing common about the athletic accomplishments of North Central College's Dick Smith. The three-sport athlete was a standout in football, basketball and baseball at the College in the 1940s. 

As a sophomore in 1942, Smith earned all-conference football honors and was on his way to a conference championship in basketball when he left to join the U. S. Army Air Corps in February 1943. After flying C-46 transports over New Guinea and the Philippines, he was honorably discharged in December 1945 and returned to the court nine games into the 1945-46 basketball season. On the baseball diamond that spring, "Smitty" hit .421 at the plate and topped the team in RBIs and home runs. 

The following year, Smith earned all-conference honors in football (1946-47) and helped the Cardinals to their first College Conference of Illinois (CCI) title in 1946 with a 7-1 record. Smith captained the 1947 team (7-2 overall) that played in the only bowl game in school history, a 21-0 loss to Southern Illinois University in the Corn Bowl. His accomplishments on the gridiron earned him a spot on North Central's All-Century Football Team (1898-1998).

 In basketball, Smith was all-conference for the 1946-47 season and also served as captain. In baseball, he again led the team in batting average in 1947 (.394) while collecting 12 RBIs and three home runs. In 1948, he hit .318 with 14 RBIs and three long balls. After graduating in 1948, Smith transferred his athletic prowess on the field to the sidelines, serving as a coach at Naperville Central High School from 1950-84. In football, he compiled a 42-18 record as head coach (1970-75) and a 192-94-3 mark while serving as an assistant. He started the Naperville Little Redskins football program and became a member of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989. Smith served as the head basketball coach at Naperville Central from 1951-55. He also officiated high school and college basketball from 1956-85 and was selected for the Illinois High School Basketball Association Hall of Fame in the officials category in 1987. 

In baseball, Smith not only started the program at Naperville Central, but carved out an impressive 289-96 record as head coach (1952-70, 77-81). He was instrumental in founding the Naperville Little League and Pony League in the mid-50s and was selected for the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1983. Smith retired from teaching and coaching in 1985.