C. Spurgeon Smith

Charles Spurgeon Smith (August 29, 1886 – August 1, 1952) was an American football coach, college athletics administrator, and professor. He served as the head football coach at Southwest Texas State Normal School—now known as Texas State University–from 1913 to 1915, compiling a record of 11–13–2.

Smith was born on August 29, 1886, in Columbus, Texas. He graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1910 and earned a master's degree in 1921 and doctorate in 1928 from the University of Chicago.

Smith began his teaching and coaching career in 1910 at Lockhart High School in Lockhart, Texas, where he was principal, football coach, and a science teacher. He moved to Cuero, Texas in 1912 to take a similar position with a high school there. Smith joined the faculty at Southwest Texas State in 1913 and was appointed head of the biology department around 1915. He trained as a United States Army officer in San Antonio and served as a first lieutenant in the 345th Field Artillery Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division in France during World War I.

Smith died on August 1, 1952, at a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas.

College football