Head Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Francie Larrieu Smith

Five-time Olympian Francie Larrieu Smith began at Southwestern in 1999 as the Head Men and Women's Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Southwestern University. Her excellence as a world-renown distance runner is well-documented. She, and Southwestern, are dedicated to achieving that same level of excellence in our cross country and track and field programs.

Most recently Coach Smith was selected as an assistant coach for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico on October 23-29. She also served as USA Track & Field's Junior Women's Team Leader at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Amman, Jordan. The US junior women placed fifth in these World Championships.

During her tenure at Southwestern University Coach Smith has taken three athletes (one male, two female) to the NCAA Cross Country Championships. She has coached athletes to South/Southeast Region honors 21 times and All-SCAC (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) honors 24 times. In Track and Field she has coached athletes to 29 Individual SCAC Championship titles and countless athletes to All-SCAC honors. Additionally, three athletes have earned SCAC Athlete-of-the-Meet (high point scorer), recieving the distinction in 2008, 2013 and 2014. 

As an athlete, Smith had her best Olympic finish in 1988 with a fifth place finish in the 10,000 meters at Seoul, South Korea. As a crowning achievement, she was the flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic Team in Barcelona, Spain (1992).

During the course of her 30-year career, Smith established 36 U.S. records and 12 world bests in distances ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 meters. She was selected by Runner's World magazine as "The Most Versatile Runner of the Quarter Century." Coach Smith is a member of several halls of fame including The Texas Women's Hall of Fame, The National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the Long Distance Running Hall of Fame.

Smith earned a M.Ed. in Sport Administration from The University of Texas at Austin in December 2000. She earned Level I coaching certification and Level II certifications with specializations in endurance and sprints, hurdles and relays from the USA Track and Field Coaching Certification program.

Coach Francie Larrieu Smith's Personal Records