Veteran ACC coach Steve Smith will join the Boston College men’s basketball staff, it was announced today by the Clement and Elizabeth Izzi Family Head Men’s Basketball Coach Earl Grant.
Smith comes to the Heights from Florida State, where he served on Leonard Hamilton’s staff for the past five seasons. During his tenure with the Seminoles, Smith helped guide FSU to the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the championship game of the 2021 ACC Tournament, and the 2020 ACC Championship. He also helped the FSU attract the No. 2 ranked recruiting class in the nation during his first full recruiting cycle in Tallahassee.
“We are very excited to have Steve Smith join our staff. He is the total package and will impact our program in many ways,” Grant said. “Steve has learned from great coaches over the years and has developed a great IQ and feel for the game. He is a great relationship guy which will allow him to recruit at a high level and connect with our current players.”
In his 12 seasons as a coach in the ACC, including a seven-year stint at Clemson where he served with Grant for two seasons as a part of Brad Brownell’s staff, Smith’s teams have won at least 25 games twice, at least 20 games four times, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament twice (2021 at FSU; 2018 at Clemson), and won at least 10 ACC games on five occasions.
In his first season at Florida State, Smith was a key part of the 2020 ACC Championship staff that posted a 26-5 overall record and a 16-4 record in ACC play. The ACC Championship was just the second in Florida State history and the 16 wins by the Seminoles marked a school record for ACC regular season victories. The following season, Smith coached FSU to a 27-9 mark en route to finishing second in ACC regular season play – the best back-to-back ACC finishes in the history of the program.
Smith spent seven total seasons at Clemson during one of the best periods in the history of the program. The Tigers averaged nearly 20 wins per season and won six postseason games with Smith on the bench. He recruited and developed three of the Tigers’ top players – two-time All-ACC selection Jaron Blossomgame, 2014 ACC Defensive Player of the Year K.J. McDaniels, and Donte Grantham. Smith helped guide the Tigers to five postseason appearances including the 2018 Sweet 16 as well as the 2014 NIT semifinals. A 1994 graduate of Morgan State where he played for three seasons, Smith also served as a successful coach at Georgia Southern and USC Upstate before his time at Clemson.
“Steve has been a part of consistent, winning basketball programs for more than a decade. He has spent 12 years in the ACC and his knowledge will impact us tremendously as we look to take the next step in our program,” Grant added. “We welcome Steve, his wife Fran, his son Jordan, and his daughters Tayler and Karsyn to Boston.”
Originally from Varnville, S.C., Smith and his wife Fran founded a non-profit organization called “Steve Smith’s Shooting Stars” in 2017, established to “inspire, educate and support the underserved youth of Hampton County, S.C. and surrounding areas.” It supports school-aged children with events designed to give back, while stressing the importance of education and providing the tools for success during the school year.
https://bceagles.com/news/2024/6/17/mens-basketball-steve-smith-joins-mbb-coaching-staff.aspx
