A Boothbay Region football coach with a passion for “doughnuts” is exiting the sidelines. Smith Climo, who has coached under three Seahawk head coaches, has decided the 2021 season is his last. Climo, 66, has spent the past four seasons as the defensive coordinator who advocated his squad “put a doughnut or a bunch of zeros on the opponents’ scoreboard.”

His passion for the game is still strong, but he cited his age, recent health problems and family commitments as main reasons he decided to leave the football program. “There’s been a couple significant changes in my life. First, I had the heart issue in the spring, and second, my grandson came into my life and I’m taking care of him,” he said. “So I thought now was the time to start doing less and believed the football team needed someone with more time to devote to them. But God knows, I’m going to miss it.”

This will be the second time in his life he has retired. Climo spent 30 years and eight months working at Long Creek Youth Development Center before retiring nearly nine years ago. His first foray into retirement wasn’t successful. “I sucked at retirement and needed to find something to do.”

This led Smith into his second coaching stint in the Boothbay Region football program, beginning in the mid-1970s under Coach Duey Graham. In 2013, Smith returned to coaching under Coach Bryan Dionne and later Ed Crocker. 

Football has been a big part of Climo’s life since he was a child growing up on Kennefield Drive in Boothbay Harbor. He always harbored dreams of one day playing professional football. He began playing high school football in 1969. He played for Bob Walter for three years, and Bill Topham in his senior season. Climo began playing center on the offense line, but ended his career playing right tackle. “Even though I was a lineman, I was fast. So the coach told me he wanted to move me to right tackle because that’s where he wanted his best lineman.”

Climo also described his senior season as the “one which may have saved Boothbay football.” In his first three seasons, the Seahawks had enough players for freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams. But the teams didn’t win many games which led to concerns the program may die and be replaced by soccer. But in 1972, Boothbay only lost one game, and defeated Dirigo which ultimately won the conference championship. “That was the team which saved football. Our numbers were down, but that season we had a great bunch of athletes,” he said. “We beat Dirigo, and both teams finished with one loss. We had one fewer win because Sacopee Valley’s program folded. We didn’t play them, and Dirigo did.”

Climo reported happily Boothbay tied for the Class D championship the following year.

Climo graduated in 1973 and attended University of Maine at Portland/Gorham (now University of Southern Maine) for two years. He returned to Boothbay Harbor and began his coaching career under Graham. He enjoyed his first stint coaching football. Climo especially enjoyed summer football as Graham had a special guest lecturer. Otto Graham, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who led the Cleveland Browns to seven pro football championships, attended the summer workouts.

“For me, it’s (Tom) Brady, (Joe) Montana and Otto Graham as the three best quarterbacks. And to watch Graham, at the age of 60, throwing those spirals at practice was truly an amazing sight,” he said. 

Under Graham, Climo coached the freshman team. In his first year, Climo encountered a situation which he could handle simply with X’s and O’s. Boothbay Region had a female who wanted to play high school football. “I told Duey this was not a problem as long as she did everything else the other players did. So that season, Laurie Brewer was the first female Maine high school player as far as I know. She played fullback and linebacker. And she could hit.”

Climo hoped to continue his coaching career at the South Portland youth detention facility that became Long Creek. “They had a football team, but dropped it in my first year so I didn’t get a chance to coach football,” Climo said. 

After he retired the first time, Climo approached former Boothbay Region football coach Bryan Dionne about joining his staff. Climo spent time coaching all three phases of the game, but spent most of his time on defense. He described Dionne with one word. “I spent five years coaching with Bryan and he is the classiest person I’ve ever coached with. He was in control every minute,” he said. 

He later coached with current head coach Ed Crocker. When Dionne exited as coach, both Climo and Crocker interviewed for the head coaching position. In the interview, Climo asked one question. “I asked if Ed had applied, and I told them he was better suited for the position,” Climo said. “Don’t get me wrong I would’ve been a good coach, but Eddie is a lot younger, and in a better position to develop a long-term program.”

Climo joined Crocker’s staff as defensive coordinator. Climo described Crocker and himself as a good pair. “I took care of all the small details such as making sure all the paperwork and forms were taken care of,” he said.

Climo enjoyed his four seasons coaching with Crocker. “(Crocker) said a lot of very complimentary things about me at the awards banquet calling me his ‘mentor.’ He is passionate about football and these kids. I know he will coach for decades.”

While local sports fans won’t be seeing Climo coach high school football or middle school baseball, or broadcasting Seahawk basketball games next year, they will likely see him as a fan for the next few seasons. But, for Climo, this may only be a time-out, as he plans on coaching 14-month-old grandson Griffin Gregory Climo’s T-ball team in a few years.