Tom Smith is back on the basketball court in the Looney Arena, but not in the way you might think. The playing surface in the fieldhouse was named Tom Smith Court after the Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach.
The court naming was officially unveiled in the Griffons’ regular season home finale on Feb. 16 during halftime of the men’s game and a reception followed the game. Fans in attendance received a memento commemorating the occasion.
Smith served as head coach of the Griffons from 1988-2013, retiring as the winningest head men’s basketball coach in MIAA history with 519 wins as an MIAA coach and 618 total coaching victories. In 25 seasons at Missouri Western, he went 448-279 with a 241-181 mark in MIAA games. Smith won five regular season MIAA championships and four MIAA postseason championships, including leading Missouri Western to a sweep of both association titles in Missouri Western’s inaugural season in the MIAA, 1989-90.
During Smith’s tenure, Missouri Western qualified for the NCAA Division II Regional Championships 11 times. He was named MIAA Coach of the Year twice at Missouri Western and once at Central Missouri and coached 51 All-MIAA selections, six All-Region picks and three NCAA All-Americans.
Smith was inducted into the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 and is also a member of the MIAA Hall of Fame, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and the Valparaiso Athletics Hall of Fame.