57 years. 52 years as a head coach. Tom Smythe says it is now all over. The 81-year old Oregon prep football coaching icon says he is hanging up his coaching whistle.
Smythe is returning to the United States in early September. The coach will be living in an apartment In the West Linn area with no plans to return to Europe, where he plied his trade on the gridiron for 21 seasons in places ranging from Austria to Finland to Germany to Poland. His last season in Poland ended on a decidedly down note—a 13-0 shutout, just the fifth scoreless game for a Smythe team. The team finished out of the playoff picture with a 5-2 record.
Smythe initially had declared he would return to Poland to coach the Owls after a vacation in a warmer European location. But the coach had a sudden change of heart.
“I was sitting in a small bar and got to thinking how many friends I might not see again,” he admitted.
“I just said ‘oh, hell… it’s time.’”
So Smythe is completing the sale of his apartment in nearby Romania, then will fly to El Paso, Texas, to meet up with his brother to drive to Oregon.
In his words, he is “looking forward to seeing ex-players and students before I am laid to rest. It just seemed right.”
Smythe confided that he wants to watch prep football games this fall in the greater Portland area at schools which include Lake Oswego, Lakeridge, Tualatin, and Gladstone. But he isn’t ruling out consulting with ex-players who are currently coaching.
“I will probably get bored, so I will find someone to let me poke around their program,” the coach confessed.
“I have got a lot of good football in my brain and am very willing to share.”
Smythe is among Oregon’s most successful high school football coaches, with state titles at Lakeridge (1987) and McNary (1997, 2001).
Smythe, as always, is philosophical about leaving Europe behind.
“The last twenty years (plus) coaching here in Europe has been awesome, but it’s time to come back home, retire and enjoy the next years with long-time friends.”
Welcome back, Coach.