He had previously served as quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns and offensive coordinator for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.

He transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he played two seasons at defensive back from 1969 to 1970.

Smith earned his bachelor's (1971) and master's (1972) degrees in physical education from Cal Poly, as well as a teaching credential.

After taking two years off from football, he was hired on January 6, 2009, to be the quarterbacks coach at USC; he had held the position for the 2004 season, when the Trojans won a national championship and quarterback Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy.

[4] The Seahawks brought him back as the team's associate head coach on March 3, 2021.