FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Methodist University has named Head Men's Basketball Coach David Smith as its 2020 Thomas R. and Elizabeth E. McLean Foundation Coach of the Year.

In its 12th year, the award recognizes the head coach at the University who has demonstrated outstanding achievement on and off the field during the preceding academic year, as voted on by a committee of staff and faculty members.

Smith, a first-time honoree of the McLean award, led the men's basketball program into the NCAA tournament after the 2019-20 campaign, winning the USA South Athletic Conference tournament to earn the league's automatic bid into the national bracket.

Rising senior Dante Burden was named a first-team all-conference player and the league tournament MVP. He was joined on the all-tournament team by Kaymon Mitchell '20.

In his 21 years as the program's head coach, Smith has made three trips into the NCAA tournament with his team, each following a conference tournament championship (2004, 2005, 2020), and his Monarchs have captured five regular-season titles.

A two-time conference coach of the year (2003, 2004), Smith has produced 270 victories and 10 winning seasons at Methodist including in each of the most recent four seasons. The Monarchs have played their way into the league tournament's championship game in three of those four years (2017, 2019, 2020).

Past McLean Foundation Coach of the Year Award winners:
2019 – Tom Inczauskis, women's golf
2018 – Tom Austin, baseball
2017 – Zach Nedbalski, men's lacrosse
2016 – DeeDee Jarman, women's basketball
2015 – Steve Conley, men's golf
2014 – Justin Terranova, men's soccer
2013 – Tom Austin, baseball
2012 – Tom Inczauskis, women's golf
2011 – Duane Ross, track & field
2010 – Steve Conley, men's golf
2009 – Francie Barragan, women's tennis