Rob Smith announced his resignation as head coach of the Humboldt State University football team during a midday press conference at Baywood Golf & Country Club on Tuesday. The resignation comes a month after Smith, along with HSU President Lisa Rossbacher and Interim Athletic Director Duncan Robins, announced that the football team would live to see a 2018 season.

The resignation, according to Robins, will not take effect until Friday. Robins said as of now Cory White is the acting head coach. Robins said he hopes to announce an interim head coach sometime next week.

Smith, who spoke for about a half-hour, thanked the Lumberjack football community who had supported him and admonished the administration which he served during the course of his ten-year tenure with Humboldt State. Smith will leave Humboldt with an overall record of 63-44 and two GNAC championship rings. Smith turned a program which had amassed just a 40-65 record in the ten years prior to his arrival into a nationally ranked top 25 football team.

“First thing, thank you. We had a great run for ten years,” Smith said. “Thank you doesn’t seem strong enough.” Smith said his ultimate decision to resign came down to, “what is best for my family.”

After the pleasantries Smith dived into the speculation surrounding his resignation. Smith said he had emailed Robins on Jan. 3 and indicated that he planned to resign. Smith provided a copy of the email in a written statement handed out to attendees of the press conference. It reads, “I have made the decision to resign. I simply am not comfortable with the direction of things at HSU and believe that the work environment is not conducive to quality athletic programs and achievement.”

Robins, shortly after receiving the email, appeared on a local TV news station and characterized Smith’s imminent resignation as a “rumor,” a characterization which according to Smith had confused the entire situation.

Smith said that in the time since he sent the aforementioned email to Robins, there had been no discussion of him remaining as head football coach. Smith wrote in his statement that, “Duncan Robins has done nothing to build this program.”

The schism between the two, according to Smith, stems from, “philosophical differences.” Smith spoke about a June 9 meeting between him and Robins during which Smith said he was left with the impression that he was being “pushed out” by the administration. “It has been disrespectful to not be appreciated by people who have not been there nearly as long as myself,” Smith said.

Smith said he had retained a lawyer to mediate between himself and the university while he transitions away from Humboldt. In the written statement Smith said the administration’s handling of both the football team and himself had been, “Professionally damaging, highly disrespectful, and extremely unfair.”

Robins, in an interview with the Times-Standard, responded to Smith’s conjectures. Robins said, “Most of what Smith said in his statements is misrepresented and inaccurate.”

Robins said that the June 9 meeting was about getting Smith to understand the “dire situation” that football was in. “[Smith’s] position was absolutely no cuts at all,” Robins said. “I left that meeting wanting to raise funds for the football program, and that has been my focus.”

Robins said he had characterized Smith’s Jan. 3 email as a “rumor” because Smith had let various coaches and players know he intended to resign before he had let Robins himself know. “Smith has been trying to figure out how to make-out as best as he can,” Robins said.

Robins said Smith has still yet to give him, or anyone in the administration an official letter of resignation.

Smith, after airing his grievances, ended his press conference by again thanking the community. “I want to dwell on the players and the wins,” Smith said. “Redwood bowl is as good as it gets.”