Associate Athletic Director John Smith has two passions: competition and working with people.

The two qualities have taken him on a path that has required both in every position he’s held.

Smith came to Eastern in 1987, when Bob Spoo, the head football coach, asked him to be the Defensive Coordinator.

“Knowing Coach Spoo and having an admiration and respect for him, I immediately said yes,” Smith said.

He spent 11 years on the Panther sideline coaching a defense that consistently ranked among the best in the nation.

However, his most rewarding experience as a coach at Eastern came during a tumultuous season early on in Spoo’s tenure.

“We were down to probably having to win four straight games, or lose our jobs,” Smith said. “We not only won those four straight, but went on to win 19 of the next 22. We got it turned around.”

Smith had been involved in the game for quite a while before arriving at Eastern.

While attending the University of Wisconsin, he played defensive half-back. One of his favorite memories, he said, came in his first road game, when the Badgers traveled to Baton Rouge to play the LSU Tigers.

“I was just a sophomore, and I returned punts. (Stadium) message boards were new (at that time), and I’ll never forget: I returned a punt, looked up, and saw Smith returns for five yards on that message board. That was a thrill for me,” he said.

While finishing up a degree in physical education, Smith joined a group of other football players in teaching a football fundamentals class, an experience that gave him his first taste in coaching.

“I had fun and discovered that I enjoyed it,” he said, describing experience.

With his playing days over, Smith got his first coaching job when the head coach at Wisconsin asked him to stay on as a graduate assistant. From there, Smith went on to take defensive coordinator positions at Northeast Missouri and Western Illinois before taking the job at Eastern.

When Smith decided to leave coaching in 1997, Eastern’s Athletic Director asked him to run a fund drive for the athletic program, a project which was perfect for him given his ability to connect with people.

“I ran that fund drive, and got (NFL head coach and Eastern alum) Mike Shannahan to come to our banquet. It was very successful, and I was asked if I wanted to do it full time,” he said. “I love Charleston, love the people, and my family didn’t want to move, so the timing was right.”

In 2002, Smith was promoted to Associate Athletic Director. As such, he focuses on what the athletic department calls “major gifts.”

The job mainly entails creating relationships with alumni, reconnecting them with Eastern, and encouraging them to give back to the athletic program.

“What we had felt as an athletic department, something we hadn’t accomplished was expanding our base of donors,” Smith said. “We never had anyone be able to focus on them. “They’re very supportive of Eastern, and are very generous in giving back to us.”

For Smith, the transition from the sideline to the office was easy because both involved dealing with people.

“I’ve always enjoyed people, part of my job is to deal with people, both locally and wide-based,” he said.

Smith maintains the most enjoyable part of his job is seeing alumni getting excited about their alma mater.

“This school has such a uniqueness from all the others I’ve been at,” he said. “The alumni love Eastern, and they love Charleston.”

Jeff Jurinek can be reached at 581-7943 or at jejurinek@eiu.edu.