Jim Smith, grew up in Clackamas County, Oregon, on a 28-acre farm. He rode a horse to his one-room school and married his high school sweetheart, Anne. They had three children while Jim pursued his education.

Jim graduated from Portland State University in 1957 and was the school's first four-time letter winner in wrestling, even though he never wrestled in high school.

After completing his master's degree at the University of Oregon and a Physics Fellowship at Stanford University, Smith started his high school coaching career in 1958 at Clackamas High School and was voted Teacher of the Year.

He moved on to teach and coach at Madison High School before being recruited in 1965 by Hall of Fame coach Bill Tomaras to be the wrestling coach and assistant football coach at Western Washington College.

When the University of Washington wrestling coach position opened in 1966, Jim jumped at the opportunity to coach at the NCAA level.

At the college level, Smith became the ultimate coach and promoter for the sport of wrestling.

In nine years, his coaching produced 16 All-Americans and two NCAA Champions, Bill Murdock and Larry Owings. Murdock and Owings are the only NCAA Division I wrestling champions produced by a Washington university. After 1969 the Huskies national rankings continually ranged from third to 10th and they won three Pacific-8 titles.

Coach Smith became involved in all aspects to help promote wrestling in Washington.

In conjunction with the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association, he organized the cultural exchange program in 1966.

Smith was appointed to the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee in 1969 and served until 1974, emphasizing aggressive wrestling and eliminating riding time although it was reinstated several years later.

With little personal wrestling experience, Jim's coaching emphasis was using the best techniques from both Japan and the United States.

The Huskies defeated Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on their home mats then defeated Iowa State 17-16 before an all-time attendance record of 8,256 fans in Seattle in 1971 and again with his "super rookie" team of 1973.

Coach Smith and the University of Washington hosted the 1973 NCAA Championships.

Smith was the wresting commissioner for the 1990 Goodwill Games, hosted in Seattle, and again set attendance records, helped by a new format for a World/Olympic type of championship.

The biggest history-making Husky win under Coach Smith was the infamous 1970 NCAA Championship finals where Owings defeated Iowa State's Dan Gable, 13-11, giving Gable his only loss in high school and college (183-1). Owings was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament and the Owings-Gable match is the most-watched match at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Along the way, Smith was recognized for his positive influence and motivation to the overall success and growth of wrestling.

He was selected as the NAIA National Rookie Coach of the Year in 1965 and as the NCAA National Coach of the Year in 1966. Smith coached the West team to a win in the 1972 NCAA East-West All-Star match and received the Joe Babbitt Contributor Award by the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association in 1999.

After leaving wrestling in 1974, Smith was a top real estate agent and developer in the North Seattle-Edmonds area. In 1987 and 1989, the City of Edmonds awarded him their Builder/Developer Award.

He took up sailing with his son Scott. They had many achievements: most notable was the USA World Championship in 1978 and North American winner in 1980.

In 1989 and 1993 Smith won the World Senior Racquetball title.

Jim and his wife Anne have been married almost 66 years and currently reside in Bend, Oregon. Smith leads an active life enjoying golf and pickleball, taking RV trips and oil painting.

They have three adult children, Dia (65), Scott (61) and Skip (58). They have seven grandchildren and two and 8/9ths great grandchildren.