Why Jimmy Smith left a SEC school to be TCU’s new running backs coach

When Anthony Jones departed the TCU football program to take the running backs coach job at USC, Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes had a huge hole to fill on his staff.

In just two seasons Jones had helped develop three NFL running backs (Kendre Miller, Emari Demercado and Emani Bailey) and he was an ace on the recruiting trail landing four-star recruits Cam Cook and Jeremy Payne.

So who would the Horned Frogs turn to? Former Arkansas running backs coach Jimmy Smith, who already had plenty of success with TCU offensive coordinator Kendal Briles when they worked together in Fayetteville.

Smith said one of the many reasons he made the move was how impressed he was with the area and with how Dykes ran his program.

“The offense is special, then I met Coach Dykes and that made it more special,” Smith said. “When I got here and saw the area, that made it even more special. So everything just got better and better.”

Another big factor for Smith was the chance to reunite with Briles as both men had some of their best success when they were on the same staff.

The offense we ran, we were together three years, two of the three years we were top one or two in rushing in the SEC,” Smith said. “I really like the offensive things we do.”

Smith and Briles coached together from 2020-22 with 2022 being the banner year for the duo. The Razorbacks ran for over 3,000 yards that season and finished seventh nationally in rushing yards per game. Raheim Sanders had the best season for a running back since Darren McFadden and was first team All-SEC with 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Smith believes he can have similar success in Fort Worth and loves how the running back room of Cook, Trey Sanders, Trent Battle and Nate Palmer has a diverse set of skills.

“Versatility, I got a different group of guys,” Smith said. “I’ve got Cam that does some different things than Trent, who does different things than Trey. Then we have Palmer and Jeremy Payne coming in, we’ve got a good group man that does different things. The most important thing is they all want to get better, I enjoy coaching those types of guys.”

Based on the early returns Cook seems to have the leg up to be the primary replacement for Bailey, who rushed for 1,209 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

Now a sophomore, Cook says learning behind Bailey was big for his development.

“I learned from how he ran and used his vision,” Cook said. “Just being able to see and process how he saw the game really helped me. His leadership, he was a real great person and the running back room is close, we’re all brothers. It was just really cool to learn under somebody.”

Cook appeared in nine games last season with 16 carries for 58 yards. You can tell the former four-star recruit has taken a leap this spring as TCU’s third day of spring camp was his best.

During one portion of 11-on-11 Cook ripped off a big run behind the right side of the offensive line as he hit another gear the second he was able to find a crease.

Cook had another chunk play on a tunnel screen from Ken Seals during the same sequence. It was just a small sample size of what he’s capable of. Before he left for Los Angeles, Jones spoke highly of Cook’s potential and believed he has what it takes to become a pro.

Smith sees similar potential and Cook has enjoyed the early chemistry they’ve been able to build.

“I can tell he’s real knowledgeable about the game,” Cook said. “He wasn’t trying to change things up too fast, he wanted to see what worked and what he could improve on with us. One of his messages was that he wanted to get the best out of each one of us and he’s going to put the best on the field. That’s just a reason to grind and keep working.”

A former college quarterback at Tennessee State, Smith rose to prominence in the late 2010s when he led Cedar Grove High School to four straight state championship games and two titles in Georgia while also being named Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2018.

Smith was at Georgia State when the Panthers had the historic upset over Tennessee before finally landing in Arkansas. Through his travels Smith fine tuned his approach with an emphasis on showing his players they mattered outside of the football field.

“I always tell people kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” Smith said. “So I get to know the kids, build a relationship with them and then find out what makes them go.”

While the running back rotation still needs to be sorted out, Smith’s track record indicates the Horned Frogs should be in good hands going forward.