On Friday, August 25, 2023, NM State men's basketball head coach
Jason Hooten announced the addition of John Smith as an Assistant Coach. Smith brings a robust background in both collegiate and high school basketball with him to Las Cruces. With previous stops at Incarnate Word (2014-18), Texas A&M (2013-14), and his alma mater, Northwestern State (2002-06).
While at Texas A&M, the Aggies went 18-16 overall, knocking off NCAA Sweet Sixteen opponent Tennessee. Smith and the Aggies took down Wyoming in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational before falling to Illinois State in the second round.
Over the first two years of Smith's time at Incarnate Word, the Cardinals went 35-23. During the 2014-15 season, UIW pulled off back-to-back road wins over Nebraksa and Grand Canyon University. The Cardinals punched its first ever trip to the postseason with a trip to the CIT following an 18-win season. Smith also helped recruit UIW's first-ever three-star recruits in Keaton Hervey and Charles Brown.
Smith is incredibly familiar with the state of Texas and the prep basketball scene. Most recently, Smith worked with Manor Early College High School and Northeast Early College High School in the Austin area. While spending the last few seasons at the Texas High School prep ranks, which was highlighted by a 2020 State Tournament appearance at San Antonio Wagner where the team finished 33-5, ranked #2 statewide (top 50 nationally) before COVID stopped the UIL State Championships.
Other prep stops for Smith include Arlington Seguin, Garland Lakeview Centennial, and Temple. While with the Arlington Seguin Cougars, Smith and company finished the 2012-13 season with a 33-5 record, Regional Finalists and climbing as high as a No. 19 ranking nationally. The program's entire starting five signed collegiate scholarships including TCU's Brandon Parrish, North Texas's Greg Wesley, and Colorado State's Kimani Jackson.
Smith also led a team featuring future NBA lottery picks Myles Turner and Emmanuel Mudiay to the 2012-13 Under Armour Grassroots National Championship.
His career began at Northwestern State where he was on staff for back-to-back Southland Conference championships in 2004-05 and 2005-06 under head coach Mike McConathy. The 2005-06 season saw the Demons have their best season in school history with a 26-8 record including wins over Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, and Oregon State. The season concluded with a second round NCAA tournament loss to West Virginia after stunning the #3 seed Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round as a #14 seed.
The New Orleans, La. native, from Warren Easton High School, earned his bachelor's degree from Northwestern State University in Journalism, where he also doubled as the sports anchor for NSU-22 TV campus news station for three years.
In 2013, Smith was named an "Honorary Captain" on the University's All-Century Team celebrating 100 years of basketball for his contributions to the program and impact on the university.
