Hall of Fame
Lancaster “Lank” Smith became football coach at Jesuit in 1950 having played under legendary coaches Frank Leahy of Notre Dame and Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns. He played defensive safety on three consecutive Notre Dame football teams (1946-1948), two of which were national championship teams. Lank graduated holding the Fighting Irish record for the highest punt return average in a season at 34.1 yards per attempt.
Smith brought a winning, disciplined tradition to Jesuit. His knowledge of the game, organizational skills and attitude inspired coaches and athletes to new heights. Lank coached six athletes who are original inductees into Jesuit Dallas’ Sports Hall of Fame. He coached Jesuit to a state title in 1954 and runner-up honors in 1955.
