Smith graduated from Cocoa High School in 1961
REGARD: Charles “Phil” Smith graduated from Cocoa High School in 1961 after earning three honors: nine all-varsity honors, three in football, basketball and track, and was named All-State in football and basketball.
PREP ACCEPTION AREA 2016
All states in football and basketball, FCCAA Distinguished Service Award and First scholarship athlete at EFSC
COCOA GRADUATE
Today’s high school athletes tend to focus on a specific sport, but “back then” when Charles “Phil” Smith was growing up, things were very different.
“Back then, there were no specializations for athletes,” says Smith. “We played football and two weeks later basketball and when that was over, we went to track and field.”
And that’s exactly what Smith did during his time at Cocoa High School, where he graduated in 1961 after earning nine all-collegiate honors, three each in football, basketball and track.
These letters kept coming back to Smith when he became the first athlete to enroll on scholarship at Brevard Junior College, the predecessor of today’s Eastern Florida State College.
Here he received two awards in basketball, was twice captain of his team, one of the best scorers and rebounders and the first player of the school to be selected to the Southern All-Conference and All-State selections.
Smith’s record of 30 rebounds in a single game still stands today, more than 50 years later.
The school started a track and field team during Smith’s sophomore year there, and he literally hit the ground running, becoming state champion with a high jump of 6.3 m and a long jump of 6.3 m.
The versatile Smith attended Georgia Southern College on a basketball scholarship. Smith put his time at Georgia Southern to good use and graduated as a member of the 1964 NAIA National Runner-up team.
Back in Brevard, with a newly earned bachelor’s degree in education and history, Smith helped his alma mater, a junior college, by volunteering as a basketball coach and helping to establish women’s basketball and softball.
FHSAA LEADERS
In his day job, he threw himself wholeheartedly into a career with Brevard County Schools. The Cocoa native moved north to Titusville to teach at South Lake Elementary and Jackson Junior High. He also served as head football, basketball and track coach and athletic director.
That job later led him to another alma mater, Cocoa High, where he served not only as boys’ basketball coach and first head coach of girls’ basketball and slowpitch softball, but also as athletic director, dean, assistant principal and director of adult education.
Cocoa lost Smith to Gainesville in 1982 when he accepted the position of director of field services for the Florida High School Activities Association. He also served as state executive director for the Florida Association of Student Councils and executive secretary of the Florida Association of National Honor Societies.
Tallahassee claims it as its own these days, as Smith and his wife (and Cocoa High love) Sandi still live there, although he retired in 2007 after 16 years as executive director of the Florida Community College Activities Association.
“Hall of Fame membership is nothing new for Smith. She is a pioneer in implementing gender equality in education and sports and is a member of the FHSAA, FLCCAA, Collegiate Press Association and the Community Colleges Men’s and Women’s Basketball Coaches’ State Halls of Fame.”
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME, call 321-615-8111 or email [email protected].
CLICK HERE to see all the members of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame.
