Coach. From early coaching positions at Arlington and Tekamah this talented leader of boys then moved on to arguably the toughest conference in Nebraska where for the next 27 years he was football and track coach at Omaha Central High School. A good example of strong competition occurred the fall of 1960 when Omaha Central High battled cross-town rival Creighton Prep on the football gridiron to a zero-zero tie. Both schools were then treated as co-champions. Between 1958 and 1966 Frank Smagacz coached five Class A Boys state track & field champions, indicating a superb ability to spot great athletes and guide them to their best efforts. In 1961, he was named high school coach of the year in Nebraska.
