After a legendary head coaching career spanning 38 years, including 25 years at Missouri Western, Tom Smith has announced his retirement as Head Men’s Basketball Coach. Smith’s retirement will be effective following the 2012-2013 season.
Smith became the third head coach in Griffon Basketball history in April of 1988 coming to St. Joseph from Division I Valparaiso. He quickly resurrected the winning tradition for Griffon Basketball as he led the Griffons to the finals of the District 16 playoffs in his first year at the helm which was MWSU’s final year of NAIA membership. The following year, Griffon Basketball became a player on the NCAA national scene as in the first year of Division II membership; the Griffons won the MIAA Regular Season and Post Season Championships and advanced to their first NCAA National Tournament.
Smith’s style of coaching has consistently kept the Griffons among the top members of the MIAA and NCAA teams. Smith’s teams have always been up-tempo, high-energy and full of talent throughout his years at Missouri Western. Smith has coached the Griffons to 11 NCAA Division II National Tournaments, five MIAA Regular Season Championships and four MIAA Postseason Tournament Titles. Smith has also been named the MIAA’s Coach of the Year twice during his tenure at Missouri Western and three times overall (once at UCM).
Smith has brought a number of talented players to St. Joseph throughout his career, including the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player, Lamont Turner during the 2001-02 season and the MIAA Postseason Tournament Most Valuable Player, Damon Bailey, during the 2002-03 season. Smith has also coached three All-America selections including Turner in 2002 along with Mike Cornelious (1990-91) and Darrol Wright (1994-95). In all, Smith has coached 49 All-MIAA selections at MWSU (13 first team selections) and six All-Region/District selections.
‘”Tom has not only been an extremely knowledgeable coach, but he has been a much-loved father figure to literally hundreds of our basketball players over the past quarter of a century,” commented President Dr. Robert A. Vartabedian.
With the Griffons 81-63 victory at Emporia State on January 21, 1998, Smith became the all-time leader in wins in MWSU history surpassing legendary coach Gary Filbert’s previous mark.
Equally as impressive, Smith is the winningest basketball coach in MIAA history with 528 wins and in 37 seasons as a collegiate head coach at three different schools, Smith has compiled a 612-448 record, a .579 winning percentage that ranks him 3rd among active coaches at the Division II level.
“Tom Smith is a legend in the world of basketball coaches. He has meant so much to Missouri Western and the community of St. Joseph,” said Director of Athletics, Kurt McGuffin. “He will always be a teacher first. His positive relationships with former and current players proves he has coached for many years for the right reasons and in the right way. We are truly blessed to have him at Missouri Western for 25 years and thank him for so many memories.”
Smith coached his 1,000 career game on March 13, 2010 as the Griffons took on Central Missouri in the NCAA South Central Regional.
While the milestones and accomplishments over the years have been plentiful, maybe the most impressive came last season as he reached a pinnacle victory for collegiate coaches as he became just the 60th collegiate coach all-time to win 600 career games with the Griffon victory in the fieldhouse over Fontbonne on November 13, 2011.
“The best thing after 45 years of coaching is all the friendships and relationships I have built in the St. Joseph community and the coaching world with very few being enemies,” stated Head Coach Tom Smith.
Smith is a member of three Hall of Fame’s including; the Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, the Valparaiso Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 as an individual and as part of his 1989-90 team that was inducted in 2011.
Prior to coming to Missouri Western, Smith spent eight seasons as head coach at Valparaiso (Ind.) University. Prior to that he spent his first head coaching stint at The University of Central Missouri from 1975-80 where he held a mark of 86-46 in five seasons. His 1979-80 team compiled a 26-2 record, and was the top-ranked team in the Division II poll for nine weeks. Smith received Coach of the Year honors in NCAA District V and the MIAA that season.
SMITH’S TEAMS BY THE NUMBERS AT MWSU
MIAA REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS
1989, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002
MIAA POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS
1990, 1995, 1998, 2003
NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES
1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2010
20+ WIN SEASONS
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
MWSU MILESTONE VICTORIES UNDER SMITH
11/1988 – 1st career win at MWSU – MWSU 88 Park 55
1/1990 – Smith wins his 200th career game – MWSU 74 at Washburn 70
3/1990 – 1st MIAA Tournament Championship – MWSU 66 Central Missouri 63
3/1990 – 1st NCAA Tournament Victory – MWSU 73 West Texas A & M 71
11/1994 – Smith wins his 300th career game – MWSU 97 Evangel 69
3/3/1995 – 2nd MIAA Tournament Championship – MWSU 66 Washburn 58
2/18/1998 – Smith becomes all-time wins leader – MWSU 81 at Emporia St. 52
2/28/1998 – 3rd MIAA Tournament Championship – MWSU 65 Northwest Missouri St. 52
1/30/1999 – Smith wins his 400th career game – MWSU 66 at Truman State 42
3/9/2003 – 4th MIAA Tournament Championship in the inaugural MIAA Tournament in Kansas City – MWSU 75 Washburn 65
2/7/2004 – Smith wins his 500th career game – MWSU 85 Southwest Baptist 57
11/13/2011 – Smith wins his 600th career game – MWSU 69 Fontbonne 55