Maurice J. "Clipper" Smith

Not to be confused with John "Clipper" Smith.

Maurice J. "Clipper" Smith
Biographical details
Born(1898-10-15)October 15, 1898
Manteno, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMarch 17, 1984(1984-03-17) (aged 85)
Laguna Beach, California, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1917–1920Notre Dame
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1921–1924Columbia (OR)
1925–1928Gonzaga
1929–1935Santa Clara
1936–1942Villanova
1944Cherry Point Marines
1946San Francisco
1947–1948Boston Yanks
1949–1951Lafayette
Basketball
1922–1924Columbia (OR)
1925–1929Gonzaga
Baseball
1926Gonzaga
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1925–1929Gonzaga
Head coaching record
Overall7–16–1 (NFL)
73–75 (college basketball)
4–11 (college baseball)
Bowls1–0–1

Maurice J. "Clipper" Smith (October 15, 1898 – March 17, 1984) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Gonzaga University (1925–1928),[1][2][3] Santa Clara University (1929–1935),[4] Villanova College—now known as Villanova University (1936–1942), the University of San Francisco (1946), and Lafayette College (1949–1951). Smith was also the head coach of the National Football League's Boston Yanks from 1947 to 1948, tallying a mark of 7–16–1. In addition, he was the head basketball coach at Gonzaga from 1925 to 1929 and the head baseball coach at the school for one season in 1926, notching a record of 4–11.

Smith died on March 17, 1984, at his home in Laguna Beach, California.[5]

  1. ^ "Clipper Smith works his outfit overtime". Spokane Daily Chronicle. October 28, 1925. p. 18.
  2. ^ "Clipper Smith may change job". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 18, 1929. p. 1.
  3. ^ "Clipper Smith heading south". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 30, 1929. p. 14.
  4. ^ "Clipper Smith heads for Villanova; plays Santa Clara in fall". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. United Press. June 25, 1936. p. 10.
  5. ^ "Maurice 'Clipper' Smith Dead at 85". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Associated Press. March 20, 1984. p. B7. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.