Longevity in a career nowadays is celebrated after just five to ten years working at one place but for the past 37 years one individual has been dedicated to Dodge City Community College and the athletic department and we thank him for his hard work and dedication as he retires from coaching. Howie Smith after 37 years working for Dodge City Community College and 32 serving as the head softball coach is retiring. 

Smith during his tenure at Dodge City Community College has worked primarily as the head softball coach guiding the program to a strong amount of success but he's been a team player himself serving in many other roles at the college from athletic director to sports information director, assistant softball coach, assistant women's basketball coach, and more. The Hoisington, Kansas native has continually worked diligently to make an impact on the Dodge City CC athletic department not only within his own teams but through other ways supporting other teams, coaches, and staff from helping run the concession stand, to keeping the scorebook for basketball and volleyball, and much more. 

On the softball field, Smith amassed 749 victories for the Conquistadors, which includes three KJCCC conference championships, two Region VI Championships, and one West Sub-Regional Championship. He also has four KJCCC runner-up finishes, two Region VI runner-up finishes, and two trips to the NJCAA Softball World Series which includes a fourth-place finish in 2000. He coached 90-plus KJCCC All-Conference honorees, over 40 Academic All-Americans, and eight All-Americans.

"Howie retiring is truly the end of an era for Dodge City softball as well as Jayhawk Conference softball. In 37 years, he has seen so many coaches and programs come and go that his knowledge of the Jayhawk Conference and NJCAA softball is just unmatched. Being a Dodge City native I can remember so many phases of DCCC softball, from practicing in the field on the front of campus, to playing at Wright Park and Thurow Park, to opening Legends Park, and eventually turfing those fields. Howie has been here through all of that. He has seen the conference as all NJCAA Division I teams to mostly NJCAA Division II teams and back to a balance. In addition to all the work he has done as the softball coach, he has also been a constant person to lean on if something else needed to be done, didn't matter what it was he was always willing to lend a helping hand. I will personally miss his historical knowledge of Conquistador Athletics. He is the one person that I can go ask a question about someone who played at DCCC years ago and he will usually have an answer for me. Howie will definitely be missed in our department," said Athletic Director, Jacob Ripple. 

Smith has been recognized on the conference and national level several times during his coaching tenure including winning the KJCCC Coach of the Year four times, while also in 2000 his assistant was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association West Region Coaching Staff of the Year and they were a finalist for the National Coaching Staff of the Year. He has also served as KJCCC softball coaches association president for numerous years and served as NFCA West Region Director for the All-American and Coaching Staff of the Year committees, in addition to serving as the chairperson for the NFCA Lead-off Classic for 12 years. He was inducted into the Dodge City CC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. 

In 2014 he was selected as an assistant coach for the NJCAA All-Star team that competed in the Canadian Open International Tournament. Then in 2015 was named the head coach and the team placed fifth in the tournament, which is still the highest finish ever for the NJCAA All-Star team. 

"Howie has been a great leader in the coach's realm of leadership and it's been a true pleasure to work with him all these years. I hope the coaches follow his example of leadership as he's raised the bar for what coaches should do for their athletes. I've trusted, respected, and relied upon your opinion over the years for the good of the conference, softball, and more. You've been an icon for women's softball and will be missed; thank you again and it's been a privilege to work with you and call you a friend. Enjoy the next phase of your life and the softball world will miss you," said KJCCC Commissioner, Carl Heinrich.