Washington & Jefferson College has selected Ethan Stewart-Smith as the 15th men’s basketball coach in school history.
Stewart-Smith joins W&J after a successful season as an assistant at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to that, he spent five seasons as an assistant at Dickinson College.
"We are thrilled to announce Ethan Stewart-Smith as our head men’s basketball coach at Washington & Jefferson College," said Interim Co-Director of Athletics Mark Lesako. "Through his experiences at Carnegie Mellon University and Dickinson College, Ethan has worked and thrived under two coaching staffs that we have a great deal of respect for. We feel he is ready to flourish in his own program and we are excited to give him that opportunity here at W&J."
At CMU, Stewart-Smith was the recruiting coordinator and defensive coordinator for the Tartans, responsible for coaching and calling the defense in-game. The 2014-15 campaign was the most successful since 2008 for CMU, finishing 14-11 overall, including a 72-59 win over then-No. 12 Washington University in St. Louis on Feb. 6, 2015. Two student-athletes were also honored with All-University Athletic Association honors following the season.
Defensively, the Tartans finished the regular season leading the UAA and ranking 32nd nationally in defensive efficiency, allowing opponents to shoot just 39.3 percent from the field. The squad also ranked in the top five nationally in blocked shots per game (third; 6.1) and finished 23rd in defensive rebounds per game (28.12).
"I am extremely humbled and honored to lead the men’s basketball program at a nationally ranked liberal arts college like Washington & Jefferson," said Stewart-Smith. "This opportunity is a direct reflection on my family, mentors in Coach [Alan] Seretti and Coach [Tony] Wingen, and all of our current and former players at Dickinson College and Carnegie Mellon University – I would not be able to have this opportunity without all of their work, dedication and support."
"It’s an exciting time to start building on the impressive athletic tradition that so many other W&J programs have established."
Stewart-Smith spent five seasons at Dickinson, working under Seretti, a former assistant coach at W&J. In 2010-11, the Red Devils posted a record of 15-12, the single-best turnaround in Centennial Conference history and only the second time in 12 years the team finished with a winning percentage of over .500.
During the 2012-13 season, Dickinson won its first CC tournament since 1997, posted the school’s first NCAA tournament victory and set then-records for wins in a season (21) and conference wins (13). The following year, the Red Devils finished 24-7 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight after winning the CC regular-season championship, finishing ranked 11th in the final D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.
In all, he helped recruit five classes of 25 total players from 10 different states to Carlisle, including Adam Honig, a 2014 graduate and National Association of Basketball Coaches All-American, Centennial Conference Player of the Year and four-time All-CC selection. Another of his recruits, Gerry Wixted was named the National Player of the Year and First Team All-America by D3hoops following his senior season of 2014-15.
Before heading to Dickinson, Stewart-Smith was an assistant coach for one season at his alma mater, Penn State Altoona, where he graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business with concentrations in marketing and management.
An instructor at the Hoop Group camps and Keystone State Games since 2009, Stewart-Smith has worked at numerous additional individual and team camps around the region.
He was a four-year starter at Altoona, where he was an all-conference selection as a junior and finished his playing career as the school’s all-time leader in assists and steals. He still ranks in the top 10 in numerous statistical categories for the Lions.
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