Spartanburg High School, students participate in dozens of sports ranging from swim to lacrosse. Athletes fight to state titles every year in these sports. Talent isn’t the only reason for success. Coaching is a vital part of succeeding in athletics. Two coaches known for their historical roles at the school, Coach Doc Davis and the late Coach Glover Smiley, have earned their way into the history books through the naming of two athletic complexes.
Zeke Bell-Boyd (10) thinks coaching is one of the most important components of sports.
“Having a good coach leads to having a good mentality and performance, that’s why they’re here,” Bell-Boyd said.
Doc Davis, former Viking head football coach, impressively won five South Carolina state championships (1991, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2001) over his 18 seasons coaching at the high school. Davis’ incredible coaching and mentality achieved these outstanding and historic performances and trophies. The former “Viking Stadium” has been been changed to “Doc Davis Field” in honor and recognition of his impressive career at Spartanburg High School.
Athletic Director Todd Staley says that while the amount of wins and losses is a benchmark for success, Davis’ career went further than that.
“For Davis, it was about helping his players become young men who would eventually be great husbands, fathers, business owners, community leaders and much more,” Staley said. “The naming of our field in his honor is not just a recognition of him, but everyone involved in his program including players, coaches, trainers, managers and statisticians.”
A man who was loved by many in Spartanburg athletics, track and field Viking legend Glover Smiley made his debut as head track and field coach in 1993, and his amazing career came to an end after retiring in 2018. Smiley made history not only on the track but at Spartanburg High School alone after becoming the first ever African American head coach at any varsity level sport.
On Sept. 18, 2022, beloved Coach Smiley passed away. Many were shocked and deeply saddened. His funeral was attended by many, including former athletes and members across District 7. At the Homecoming parade in 2022, somewhat of a memorial was held in place. The “Walk for Coach Smiley” had hundreds of athletes and coaches participate in remembering who Smiley was to the school and community.
Science teacher and track coach Crystal Woodruff said that working with Smiley meant a lot to her.
“Everyone involved on the track team knew how dedicated coach was. He meant a lot to the team and meant a lot in our hearts; he was a great man,” Woodruff said.
Cross country coach Jack Todd says Smiley was a mentor to the track team and was a big part of
Spartanburg track and field in general.
“Even though Coach Smiley ‘knew everything track’, he was so much more than a coach. He was an educator and a mentor to members of the track team. Coach Smiley was the consummate professional and always placed the welfare of his student athletes ahead of winning. Glover Smiley was a ‘giant among men’ in the South Carolina coaching community,” Todd said.
Renaming the football field and track complex was a big decision made by Spartanburg School District 7 and had claimed that both great former coaches had done their duties to have earned this recognition. Already having the Viking arena named after former legendary basketball coach Doug Lowe (“Doug Lowe Court”), the new naming of the track and the field fitted well as the major complexes are named after incredible coaches who outdid themselves with their time at Spartanburg High.
