Lifetime Service to Wrestling

·       Sweet Home, Oregon: 1972-1974

·       Central Kitsap Junior High School: 1974-1976

·       Fairview Junior High School: 1976-1979; 1994-1996

·       Olympic High School: 1979-2004

From the very beginning of organized wrestling at Central Kitsap High School, Darryl Smith has been part of the sport’s growth and legacy in Washington. A member of Central Kitsap’s first-ever varsity wrestling team in 1967, Smith graduated the following year and continued his athletic career at Olympic Junior College before transferring to Central Washington University, where he earned his degree in 1972.

Smith began coaching at Sweet Home High School in Oregon, then returned to the Olympic Peninsula to devote more than three decades to building and sustaining wrestling programs in Kitsap County. He coached at Central Kitsap Junior High, established the wrestling program at Fairview Junior High, and later founded the Olympic High School wrestling program, serving as head coach there for the next 24 years.

During his tenure at Olympic High School, Smith’s teams achieved a 263–191 dual-meet record, captured 11 league titles, two regional championships, and posted 29 winning seasons. His wrestlers earned 6 state championships, 36 state medals, and 3 academic state titles. Beyond high school, 12 of his athletes became college All-Americans, including a national champion, and 14 former wrestlers went on to become coaches, extending his influence across generations.

Smith’s impact reached beyond his own program. He co-founded three youth wrestling clubs—the Chief Kitsap, Noble Firs, and Kitsap Ironman—and served as Vice President of the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association (WSWCA) from 1996 to 1999. His peers recognized his excellence repeatedly, naming him WSWCA “AAA” Coach of the Year and the Kitsap Sun Coach of the Year in 1993. The Washington State Coaches Association honored him with its Lifetime Service Award, and he was inducted into both the WSWCA Hall of Fame (2009) and the Kitsap County Sports Hall of Fame (2010).

Darryl and his wife Jody live in Bremerton, Washington, where they enjoy time with their three children—Erik(Dezdera), Holly (Sean), and Ty (Jamie)—and grandgirls Hannah, Addison, and Ella. Through dedication, mentorship, and decades of leadership, Darryl Smith has helped shape wrestling in Kitsap County and across Washington State.