Former girls’ soccer coach Carlos Giron and former football coach George Smith have been named two of the best high school sports coaches ever. MaxPreps, one of America’s top sources for high school athletics, named Giron and Smith to their list of the top 100 high school coaches of all time.
Giron, who spent 38 years as the head coach of the girls’ soccer team, is listed 10th and is the highest-ranked girls’ soccer coach on the list. Throughout his illustrious career, Giron won fifteen state championships and seven national championships. His record of 842-88-31 results in a career-winning percentage of 89.2%.
He was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Hall of Fame in 2022 and received the FACA Lifetime Achievement Award. Giron has spent over 40 years of his life dedicated to bettering St. Thomas Aquinas (STA). He has made an indelible mark on thousands of lives, on and off the field.
Coach Smith is one of the most influential figures in STA history. Smith, who is 41st on the list, spent 33 years as the head coach of the football team. He won six state championships and two national championships and recorded a career-winning percentage of 84.5% (361-66). Smith’s accomplishments include multiple Hall of Fame inductions and dozens of coaching honors.
Along with the team’s successes, Smith helped send thirty players to the NFL, including Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. Irvin credits Smith as being one of the most influential figures in his life.
For 39 years, the legendary coach also served as the school’s Athletic Director. During his tenure, he oversaw 111 state championships and 13 national titles. He transformed STA athletics and impacted the lives of thousands of young athletes. STA’s athletic center bears the name “The George F. Smith Athletic Center” in his honor.
Both Giron and Smith are well-deserving of these significant honors. Their recognition is a testament to the legacy of excellence and tradition that embodies STA.
