With more than 26 years invested at Linfield University as head coach, assistant coach and former All-America defensive back, Joseph Smith is among the college's longest tenured coaches in any sport. Entering his 20th year as head coach, he has assembled a 165-31 win-loss record that includes 14 Northwest Conference championships and 14 NCAA playoff berths with the Wildcats advancing as far as the national semifinals three times (2009, '14, and '15) and quarterfinals four times (2012, '13, '16, '21 and '24). Smith's 165 career coaching victories rank second alltime at Linfield, trailing only his college coach, Ad Rutschman, who won 183 games over 24 seasons.
A popular but demanding coach, Smith served as an assistant at Linfield for 13 years, including seven seasons as defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2005. During his first season in charge, the Wildcats finished 6-3. Two of the Wildcats' losses came at the hands of Top 10 teams and the other was to a NCAA Division II program which enjoyed its best season in many years.
With Smith as defensive coordinator, Linfield finished No. 1 in the Northwest Conference in total defense and scoring defense four times. During that time, the Wildcats went 60-6 and made five NCAA Division III playoff appearances. Linfield captured the 2004 Division III national championship with a 28-21 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor, a victory that was clinched by a defensive sack in the waning seconds. The Wildcats won or shared six NWC titles from 2000 to 2005.
Smith served as a position coach, first with the linebackers and defensive line before taking over as secondary coach and defensive coordinator.
A second team NAIA All-American in 1992, Smith was a four-year starter at cornerback and a two-time first team all-conference selection. He earned national distinction as NAIA Division II Defensive Player of the Week in the opening game of 1992, helping Linfield upset second-ranked Pacific Lutheran. He finished his career with 16 interceptions, third-most in program history, and 168 total tackles.
Smith was a senior on Linfield's 1992 team that went 12-1 with its only blemish coming in a 26-13 loss to Findlay (Ohio) in the NAIA Division II national championship game. As a player, he helped the Wildcats capture consecutive Columbia Football Association-Mt. Hood League championships in 1991 and 1992.
He was recruited to Linfield by Rutschman and played three seasons under the Hall of Fame coach. Rutschman retired from coaching in 1991, turning the program over to Langsdorf.
Smith graduated from Linfield with honors in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. As a senior, he earned distinction as Linfield's 1992-93 male athlete of the year. He went on to earn a master's degree in sports psychology from Oregon State in 1996.
A native of Grants Pass, Smith and his wife, Darla, live in McMinnville. The Smiths have three children. Daughter Josie is a graduate of Carroll College. Eldest son Wyatt was an All-America quarterback at Linfield before graduating in 2022. Second son Colton is a recent football graduate after an all-star career as a wide receiver. Wyatt and Colton are now members of the Linfield coaching staff.
