[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14427-14428]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 REMEMBERING GEORGE JOHN ``G.J.'' SMITH

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a Kentuckian 
who was a coach, athletic director, and teacher to many and a confidant 
and good friend to even more. Kentucky mourns the passing of Mr. George 
John Smith of London, KY, who passed away on August 17 of this year at 
the age of 59.
  Known as G.J. to his many players, friends, and fellow baseball fans, 
Mr. Smith was a Laurel County native born in 1953. He began his 
coaching career at Laurel County High School in 1977. When he stepped 
down from that position 26 years later, he was ranked among the 
winningest high school baseball coaches in Kentucky with over 600 
victories.
  G.J. was also the athletic director at South Laurel and the Laurel 
County Board of Education. He was inducted into the Laurel County 
Sports Hall of Fame and the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches 
Association Hall of Fame. He was also a member of Mt. Zion Church of 
Christ.
  In college, G.J. played basketball at the University of Kentucky 
under coach Adolph Rupp. He is survived by his wife Judy; two sons, 
Cameron and Trey; a sister and brother-in-law, Charlie Jean and Terry 
Mack; and many other beloved family members and friends.
  I ask my U.S. Senate colleagues to join me in extending sympathies to 
the family of G.J. Smith as well as his many friends and players. As 
the home of Pee Wee Reese and the Louisville Slugger, the Commonwealth 
of Kentucky has certainly contributed more than its share to America's 
greatest pastime. I am pleased the legacy of G.J. Smith will be 
remembered as a part of the Bluegrass State's baseball history as well.
  Mr. President, an article describing G.J. Smith's life of achievement 
recently appeared in the Whitley County-area publication the Times 
Tribune. I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Times Tribune, Aug. 20, 2012]

                         G.J. Smith: 1953-2012


                    Former Wildcat, Coaching Legend 
                               Dead at 59

                           (By Chris Parsons)

       London.--The Commonwealth of Kentucky lost one if its 
     sports legends Friday when G.J. Smith, former Kentucky 
     Wildcat and

[[Page 14428]]

     long time Laurel County coach and athletics director, died of 
     a heart attack at the age of 59.
       Smith was considered an ambassador of sports in Laurel 
     County on many occasions and his love of student athletes is 
     something he'll always be remembered for. Though he held many 
     titles in his career, the one title most common among those 
     that knew Smith was that of a friend and teacher.
       Former South Laurel basketball coach Steve Wright, who 
     coached under Smith in baseball as an assistant and 
     basketball when Smith was the AD, said Smith's experiences 
     and heartfelt dedication is what sticks out to him more than 
     anything.
       ``He's the most fierce competitor I have ever been 
     around,'' Wright said. ``When you were around him, he just 
     taught you the value of winning and doing well.
       ``The thing I learned from him most was that the kids 
     always came first,'' Wright added. ``No matter what he did, 
     he always wanted what was best for the students no matter 
     what the situation was.''
       Wright said one of his fondest memories with Smith was 
     after South Laurel won the state championship in 2005, when 
     they shared a special moment after the game.
       ``He wasn't a real emotional guy, but after that game he 
     came over and gave me a big hug,'' Wright said. ``It was a 
     moment as coach, it was a moment as an AD and it was a moment 
     as a father and I'll always remember that.
       ``We were able to share a dream that we both had,'' he 
     added. ``It really was like a mountain top for both of us, 
     and I look back on that because it was a moment that I think 
     he really enjoyed and could say `my school just won the state 
     championship.'''
       As a basketball player in his younger days, Smith became 
     the only player to lead two different teams to the Sweet 16 
     in consecutive years after he first led Hazel Green in 1970, 
     and Laurel County after consolidation in 1971, when he was 
     also named a High School All-American and played for the 
     Kentucky All-Stars.
       Smith's coaching career spanned 26 years, with a career 
     total of 662 wins, 15 district titles and six region 
     championships as head coach. Smith's teams never had a losing 
     season during Smith's tenure and won 30 games six times.
       Current Corbin baseball coach Rob Ledington, who played for 
     Smith in high school and got his first coaching job under 
     him, said his relationship with Smith was often misconstrued, 
     yet grew in Smith's later days.
       ``Our relationship was a lot stronger than a lot of people 
     realized,'' said Ledington. ``I got my start in baseball with 
     him as a player and I got my first coaching job under him.
       ``A lot of the stuff that I do as a coach, as a teacher, 
     and as a father, I learned from him,'' he added. ``Outside of 
     my immediate family, he was the most influential person in my 
     life. We've had disagreements, but that's just part of being 
     a family. It's a sad day for baseball and it's just as sad a 
     day for me personally.''
       As a result of Smith's high-school basketball accolades, he 
     was a member of Adolph Rupp's famed Super Kitten recruiting 
     class. While he was at UK, Smith was a part of history twice 
     as he played in the final games of John Wooden of UCLA (the 
     1975 NCAA Championship game) and Rupp. Smith said on several 
     occasions that his favorite UK memory was when the Wildcats 
     knocked off top-ranked Indiana, 92-90, to end the Hoosiers' 
     34-game winning streak in the Mideast Regional final game in 
     Dayton, Ohio.
       Arrangements will be handled by House-Rawlings Funeral Home 
     in London.
       The family will hold a visitation after 6 p.m. Monday night 
     and the funeral will be Tuesday at 11 a.m.

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