Dafford Smith

Dafford Smiths coaching career began in 1956 when he coached pee-wee football while he was still in college at St. Bernard. After graduating from St. Bernard, he spent the next 14 seasons as the head coach of the Pioneers of Cullman Junior High. While at Cullman, Smith also coached the baseball team for two seasons winning the Tennessee Valley Conference both years. Coach Smith accepted the head coaching position at West Point High School in 1973 where he remained for four seasons. The Warriors won the county championship twice during his tenure with the program. His first game was a loss to Mortimer Jordan before the team went on a 14-game win streak. Smith resigned his position at West Point to pursue his law degree at the Birmingham School of Law after the 1976 season. Upon graduation from law school, Smith returned to coaching at Cullman High School joining the staff led by head coach Dale Cook. He coached the defensive line and inside linebackers for one season. Coach Smith accepted the head football coaching job at Fairview High School in 1986. He would spend the next 12 seasons leading the Aggies football team. During his tenure there, Fairview won a total of 19 games in the 1992-93 seasons. While he was at Fairview, Smith coached girls basketball at different times. Smith retired from Fairview in 1998 but only for a couple of years before moving to Vinemont to help his nephew coach the Eagles for a season. In 2003, Smith coached the Fairview eighth grade team. St. Bernard High School came calling in 2004 and Smith answered the call for another three years as the head coach before retiring for good after the 2006 football season. Smith enjoyed a football coaching career that lasted nearly a half century when he finally hung up the cleats. His overall high school football coaching record is 98-88-1 in eighteen seasons at the helm of three different programs. His overall record from coaching girls and boys basketball, baseball and softball is a combined 752-247-2. The Fairview Aggies football program thought so much of their coach, that the stadium in which they play is now named for him.