Sherman Smith enters his second season with the Redskins after he was named Washington’s offensive coordinator on February 22, 2008.
Redskins head coach Jim Zorn targeted Smith to join his coaching staff immediately after being named head coach, reuniting the one-time Seattle Seahawks teammates (1976-82).
A veteran of 23 seasons as both a player and assistant coach in the National Football League, Smith works directly with Zorn on implementing and organizing the Redskins’ offensive game plan.
"Sherman brings outstanding leadership to our team and we are fortunate to have him as member of our coaching staff," Zorn said. "He will continue to lead the effort in putting together our game plan each week, both in our offensive staff meetings and in our player meetings."
In his first season with the Redskins in 2008, Smith helped lead the Redskins’ transition to the West Coast Offense, a short, horizontal passing attack that spreads defenses and opens up running lanes.
Four members of the Redskins’ offense were named to the 2008 Pro Bowl--TE Chris Cooley, RB Clinton Portis, T Chris Samuels and FB Mike Sellers. Portis made his second Pro Bowl and his first as a member of the Redskins after he registered the second-most rushing yards (1,487) in a single season in franchise history.
Cooley earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl with a career-best 83 receptions. Samuels earned his sixth Pro Bowl appearance, the third-most in club history, while Mike Sellers was named to his first Pro Bowl after he paved the way for Portis to finish fourth in the NFL with the aforementioned 1,487 rushing yards.
Smith’s coaching background is primarily with running backs, but he has worked under several offensive coordinators who have operated versions of the West Coast Offense, including Mike Heimerdinger and Norm Chow.
Prior to joining the Redskins, Smith spent 13 seasons as running backs coach with the Tennessee Titans (1995-2007). He also held the title of assistant head coach the last two seasons.
In his final season with the Titans in 2007, Tennessee finished with the NFL’s fifth-ranked rushing attack, averaging 131.8 yards per game. Under Smith’s guidance, second-year running back LenDale White led the Titans offense with 1,110 rushing yards on 303 carries. His yardage total placed eighth in the AFC. He logged five 100-yard rushing performances and led the Titans with seven rushing touchdowns.
In 2006, Tennessee amassed the sixth-highest rushing total in Titans/Oilers franchise history with 2,214 rushing yards. The team’s yards-per-carry average of 4.72 established a new franchise mark. Travis Henry led the Titans’ ground game with 1,211 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 270 carries, while White added 244 rushing yards on 61 carries as a rookie.
From 1996-2003, Smith helped running back Eddie George develop into one of the great running backs in NFL history. With 10,441 career rushing yards, George places 22nd on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. George is one of 24 running backs in NFL history to reach 10,000 career rushing yards and only the second to reach the mark without missing a game. (The other was Hall of Famer Jim Brown.)
Before joining the Titans, Smith was an assistant coach at Illinois for three seasons. He coached tight ends from 1992-93 and running backs in 1994. Smith also coached running backs at Miami (Ohio) University, his alma mater, from 1990-91.
Smith played nine years in the NFL as a running back, mostly with Seattle. He joined the Seahawks as a second-round draft choice (58th overall) in 1976 and led the team in rushing yardage in each of his first four seasons. For his career, Smith compiled 3,520 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns on 834 carries, as well as 217 receptions for 2,393 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Smith departed Seattle in 1983 as the Seahawks’ all-time rushing yardage leader. (He totaled 3,429 rushing yards in Seattle, which is currently sixth best behind Shaun Alexander, Curt Warner, Chris Warren, John L. Williams and Ricky Watters). He is also fourth in Seahawks’ history with 28 rushing touchdowns. Smith closed out his career with the San Diego Chargers from 1983-84.
At Miami (Ohio), Smith played quarterback. He led the Redhawks to a 33-1-1 record and the Mid-American Conference crown his last three years.
Upon retiring from playing football in 1984, Smith was a high school teacher and football, basketball and track coach for one year at Redmond Junior High School in Redmond, Wash.
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Smith and his wife Sharon have two children: daughter Shavonne, an elementary school teacher in Nashville, and son Sherman, also a graduate of Miami (Ohio) and resident of Raleigh, N.C.
