Donald “Don” Smith, who coached four sports over a 40-year career at the University of Rochester, passed away on March 28 after a lengthy illness.
 
Smith's legacy was established over a 27-year career as the head coach of the Yellowjacket golf team. He coached golf from 1969 to 1995. Rochester peaked as a Division III golf power from 1982 to 1995. The Yellowjackets made 14 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III National Championships in that time and were ranked in the Top 20 every year. From 1989 to 1995, Rochester finished in the top 10 at NCAAs five times.
 
He earned accolades for his coaching achievements on both a regional and conference basis. Rochester won the University Athletic Association championship six times in eight years, including the first five titles (1988-'92). The UAA named Smith its Coach of the Year each time. Furthermore, Smith was named the NCAA Division III District II Coach of the Year three times (1986, 1987, 1989). In 1993, he received the Dick Gordin Citation for longtime contributions to intercollegiate golf. He owned a formidable career dual match record of 134-51 (72.4%).
 
Smith was honored by the Rochester Press-Radio Club in 1987 with the Al C. Weber Award. It was presented “…to a local person who has made an outstanding contribution to his team over the years…”.
 
From 1982-87, the golfers posted a school all-sport record winning streak of 28 dual meet triumphs. He coaches 15 All-Americans and three Scholar All-Americans as selected by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
 
Rochester hosted the 1985 NCAA Division III National Championships at the Monroe Golf Club where the Yellowjackets finished in seventh place before a final day NCAA record crowd of 1,150. The best Yellowjackets finish at NCAAs came in 1993 when the 'Jackets were sixth.
 
Smith retired as the Associate Director of Men's Athletics in 1991. He retired as golf coach on December 31, 1995.  In 1996, he was inducted into the University's Athletics and Recreation Hall of Fame.
 
He was a 1952 Physical Education graduate of the University of Massachusetts. He lettered for three seasons in football as an end and captained the baseball team while leading the Yankee Conference in hitting. Smith earned his M.S. in Physical Education from Springfield College in 1955 and joined the Rochester football staff under Elmer Burnham that fall.
 
He coached for six seasons under Burnham (1955-60) and two years under Paul Bitgood (1961-62). When Bitgood suffered a heart attack, Smith was named the head football coach. He had a five-year record of 26-21-1 from 1963 to 1968.
 
Smith was Rochester's head baseball coach from 1960-64 (37-17 record) and an assistant basketball coach for five years (1955-60). He coached under Louis Alexander for two seasons (1955-56, 1956-57) and three years under Lyle Brown (1957-58 through 1959-60).
 
He was a past president and member of the board of the Rochester District Golf Association. Smith was a member (and former chairman) of District II for the NCAA Division III Golf Coaches Committee which establishes national rankings and selection to the NCAA tournament.

Democrat & Chronicle Obituary