Hired at the start of the 1999-2000 season, Smith has compiled a mark of 279-314 as the Monarchs' head coach. The two-time conference Coach of the Year boasts five conference regular season championships, three conference tournament championships, and three trips to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. And he was also voted Methodist University's 2020 Thomas R. and Elizabeth E. McLean Foundation Coach of the Year.
Smith has 39Â All-Conference selections to his credit, as well as a USA South Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and three USA South Tournament Most Valuable Players.
Returning to a normal season in 2021-22, the Monarchs finished 4-20 overall and 3-11 in conference. Smith coached Dante Burden to his fourth consecutive USA South All-Conference honor and landed top five in program history for his career in scoring, scoring average, free throws, steals and assists. A highlight from the season was Burden breaking the programs overall record for career steals (229) in the game against Averett.
After having an altered 2020-2021 season due to the impacts of Covid-19, the Monarchs finished 5-7 overall and 5-5 in conference. The Monarchs competed against Pfeiffer in the East USA South Men’s Basketball Tournament, falling short 81-87 in overtime. Senior guards, Dante Burden and Garren Dearman both earned USA South All-Conference honors, each finishing the season averaging 18 points per game. For the third consecutive year, Burden led the conference in steals, averaging 2.8 steals per game. Dearman reached his 1000th career point in the game against Greensboro.
In the 2019-20 season, Smith led the Monarchs to their first USA South Athletic Conference tournament championship and NCAA Division III National Tournament appearance since the 2004-05 season. Methodist finished with an 18-11 overall record and 11-6 in league play. The Monarchs defeated Huntingdon, 79-73, to be crowned conference champions and advance to the NCAA Tournament. In the first round of the tournament, Methodist lost to Emory University, the 12th ranked team in the nation, 78-74. Junior Dante Burden was third in the conference with 18.8 points per game while leading the league with 2.5 steals a game. Burden was named USA South Conference Tournament MVP and he earned first team all-conference honors.
In the 2018-19 season after losing eight of their top 10 scorers from the previous season, the Monarchs overachieved to a 15-13 overall record with a 11-6 mark in USA South conference play en route to a berth in the conference championship after being predicted to finish last in the East Division in the preseason coaches' poll. Methodist reeled off five consecutive wins to streak into the championship, including a 104-70 win over William Peace in the first round of the conference tournament, the largest margin of victory for Methodist in 15 years. The Monarchs also knocked off top-seeded Covenant in the semifinals of the tournament before falling to Maryville (Tenn.). Newcomer Dante Burden finished sixth in the conference with a team-leading 17 points per game to earn a Second Team All-USA South selection and a spot on the USA South All-Tournament team.
During the 2017-18 season, the Monarchs finished with an 18-9 record, including a 12-4 record in league play. MU grabbed the No. 2 seed in the East in the USA South Men's Basketball Tournament and advanced to the semifinal round before falling to the eventual-champion, Maryville. Davion Ayabarreno was honored as a First Team All-USA South selection as he eclipsed the 1,000 point plateau midway through the year. On the season, he was third in the conference with 18.7 points per game, including 13 games of at least 20 points. Jackson Whitley claimed second team all-conference laurels as the only player in the league to average a double-double with averages of 13.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. He ranked among national leaders with 71 total blocks and 2.6 blocks per game.Â
The Monarchs posted a record of 17-11 (9-5 USA South) in the 2016-17 season while capturing a share of the conference regular season championship for the first time since the 2007-08 season. As the No. 2 seed, MU advanced to the USA South Conference Tournament championship before ultimately falling to LaGrange in the finals. Davion Ayabarreno was a First Team All-USA South selection at the end of the season. He was second in the league in scoring at 20.3 ppg and added 6.3 rpg and shot 54.4 percent from the floor. Jackson Whitley, who finished among the national leaders in blocked shots was an honorable mention pick after averaging 12.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.2 blocks per game and shooting 57.0 percent from the field.
From the 2002-03 season to the 2004-05 seasons, Smith was awarded conference Coach of the Year twice as he led Methodist to three straight regular season titles in the USA South Conference/Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, in addition to two consecutive USA South Conference tournament championships and two consecutive bids to the NCAA Division III National Tournament in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.
The 17-10 season, including a 12-2 record in the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic College, in 2002-03 gave the Monarchs their first DIAC championship and their most wins (overall and in the DIAC) in a season since the 1996-97 campaign. Smith was honored as DIAC Coach of the Year. He improved upon his 2002 season with a 18-win season in 2003 and a 20-win season in 2004.
In 2003-04, Smith was honored as USA South Coach of the Year by finishing with a 18-10 overall record and 11-3 in league play and sweeping the conference for both the regular season title and conference tournament championship to earn the first bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament since 1996.
Smith was even more successful in 2004-05 as he led Methodist to just its third 20-win season in program history. The Monarchs posted a 20-8 overall mark with a 10-2 record in the USA South, again sweeping the conference for both the regular season title and the conference tournament championship, as well as the second straight bid to the DIII National Tournament. The highlight of the season was a 13-game winning streak and USA South Conference Player of the Year, Sam Porter. The forward averaged 13.3 points per game (ninth in the conference) with 10.4 rebounds per game (second in the conference). He also averaged 2.4 steals and 2.2 assists per game.
Smith had previously served the Monarchs as an assistant varsity coach for the four seasons under former head coach and current Methodist athletic director Bob McEvoy, in addition to serving as the head junior varsity coach.
Smith was a three-year starter at guard under head coach Charlie Babb at Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville. As a freshman at Methodist, he was part of the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship in 1978 led by head coach Joe Miller. Smith currently ranks sixth all-time in assists at Methodist. After attending graduate school for one year at the University of North Carolina, Smith played one season professionally with the Derby Rams in England. He has served as an assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach at South View High School in Hope Mills, N.C., as well as the head varsity coach at Keystone Heights High School in Florida for seven years.
Smith received his bachelor’s degree from Methodist in 1981. He and his wife Corinne are proud parents of daughter Gabrielle.
Smith's Record at Methodist
| Season |
Record (Overall) |
Record (Conference) |
Season Notes… |
| 1999-00 |
9-16 |
4-8 |
|
| 2000-01 |
14-11 |
7-5 |
|
| 2001-02 |
16-11 |
10-4 |
|
| 2002-03 |
17-10 |
12-2 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs |
| 2003-04 |
18-10 |
11-3 |
USA South Reg. Season & Tour. Champs / NCAA Tour. Participant |
| 2004-05 |
20-8 |
10-2 |
USA South Reg. Season & Tour. Champs / NCAA Tour. Participant |
| 2005-06 |
10-17 |
7-5 |
|
| 2006-07 |
11-14 |
6-6 |
|
| 2007-08 |
16-10 |
8-4 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs |
| 2008-09 |
10-17 |
4-8 |
|
| 2009-10 |
3-23 |
3-9 |
|
| 2010-11 |
10-16 |
5-7 |
|
| 2011-12 |
9-18 |
5-7 |
|
| 2012-13 |
9-15 |
6-8 |
|
| 2013-14 |
10-16 |
7-7 |
|
| 2014-15 |
13-14 |
7-7 |
|
| 2015-16 |
7-17 |
3-10 |
|
| 2016-17 |
17-11 |
9-5 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs |
| 2017-18 |
18-9 |
12-4 |
|
| 2018-19 |
15-13 |
11-6 |
|
| 2019-20 |
18-11 |
11-6 |
USA South Tour. Champs / NCAA Tour. Participant |
| 2020-21 |
5-7 |
5-5 |
|
| 2021-22 |
4-20 |
3-11 |
|
| TOTALS |
279-314 (.470) |
176-139Â (.558) |
|
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