Sonny Smith
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Milligan | November 15, 1936
Position(s) | Guard |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1969–1970 | William & Mary (assistant) |
1970–1971 | Pepperdine (assistant) |
1971–1976 | Virginia Tech (assistant) |
1976–1978 | East Tennessee State |
1978–1989 | Auburn |
1989–1998 | VCU |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 339–304 |
Tournaments | 7–6 ( CAA Coach of the Year (1996) Alabama Sports Hall of Fame |
Charles H. "Sonny" Smith (born November 15, 1936) is a retired American
East Tennessee State
Sonny Smith was hired by
Auburn
Sonny Smith was hired by
Smith guided Auburn to its first ever NCAA tournament appearance in 1984, led by future Hall of Fame player Charles Barkley. The Tigers were upset in the First Round, however, by the 12th-seeded Richmond Spiders. Smith was named SEC Coach of the Year following the 1984 season.
The 1985 regular season was considered a letdown, with the Tigers going 8–10 in conference play. Before the SEC tournament, Smith announced his plan to retire at the end of the season. However, Smith and tournament MVP Chuck Person led Auburn to its first ever SEC tournament championship, winning four games in four days for the first time in tournament history. He then coached that team to the Sweet Sixteen of the 1985 NCAA tournament. Following this success, and despite receiving an offer from his former school, East Tennessee State,[2] Smith decided to remain at Auburn.[3] Smith would go on to lead the Tigers to three more NCAA Tournament appearances, making it as far as the Elite Eight in 1986. This streak of five straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the longest in Auburn history. Smith was again named SEC Coach of the Year following the 1988 season.
Following a losing season in 1989, Smith left Auburn to become the head coach at VCU, citing his doubts that he could return Auburn to the success of the previous five seasons.[4] His record at Auburn was 173–154 (.529). Until 2020, he was the only coach in Auburn men's basketball history to have three consecutive 20-win seasons.[5]
VCU
Though he did not achieve the level of success that he had while at
Smith retired at the end of the 1997–98 season, with his longtime assistant coach Mack McCarthy taking over as head coach at VCU. Smith finished at VCU with a record of 136–127 (.517), and an overall head coaching record of 339–304 (.527).
Broadcasting career
After retiring from coaching, Smith joined his friend and former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson on a sports talk radio show "The Sonny and Wimp Show" on WJOX-AM in Birmingham, Alabama. The show ran for more than six years before it was canceled in 2006.[6] From 2003 to 2014, Smith provided the color commentary for the Atlantic Sun Game of the Week on CSS.[7] Smith currently works alongside Andy Burcham as the color commentator for Auburn men's basketball games on the Auburn Sports Network radio broadcast.
Head coaching record
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Tennessee State Buccaneers (Ohio Valley Conference ) (1976–1978)
| |||||||||
1976–77 | East Tennessee State | 12–14 | 6–8 | 5th | |||||
1977–78 | East Tennessee State | 18–9 | 10–4 | 2nd | |||||
East Tennessee State: | 30–23 (.566) | 16–12 (.571) | |||||||
Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1978–1989) | |||||||||
1978–79 | Auburn | 13–16 | 5–13 | 9th | |||||
1979–80 | Auburn | 10–18 | 5–13 | 9th | |||||
1980–81 | Auburn | 11–16 | 4–14 | 9th | |||||
1981–82 | Auburn | 14–14 | 7–11 | 7th | |||||
1982–83 | Auburn | 15–13 | 8–10 | 8th | |||||
1983–84 | Auburn | 20–11 | 12–6 | 2nd | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
1984–85 | Auburn | 22–12 | 8–10 | 7th | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
1985–86 | Auburn | 22–11 | 13–5 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
1986–87 | Auburn | 18–13 | 9–9 | 5th | NCAA Division I second round | ||||
1987–88 | Auburn | 19–11 | 11–7 | 2nd | NCAA Division I second round | ||||
1988–89 | Auburn | 9–19 | 2–16 | 10th | |||||
Auburn: | 173–154 (.529) | 84–114 (.424) | |||||||
VCU Rams (Sun Belt Conference) (1989–1991) | |||||||||
1989–90 | VCU
|
11–17 | 5–9 | T–6th | |||||
1990–91 | VCU
|
14–17 | 7–7 | 5th | |||||
VCU Rams (Metro Conference) (1991–1995) | |||||||||
1991–92 | VCU
|
14–15 | 5–7 | T–5th | |||||
1992–93 | VCU
|
20–10 | 7–5 | 3rd | NIT first round | ||||
1993–94 | VCU
|
14–13 | 5–7 | T–5th | |||||
1994–95 | VCU
|
16–14 | 3–9 | 7th | |||||
Colonial Athletic Association ) (1995–1998)
| |||||||||
1995–96 | VCU | 24–9 | 14–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
1996–97 | VCU
|
14–13 | 9–7 | T–3rd | |||||
1997–98 | VCU
|
9–19 | 4–12 | 9th | |||||
VCU: | 136–127 (.517) | 59–65 (.476) | |||||||
Total: | 339–304 (.527) | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
References
- ^ "Looking back: Where Auburn found its last five basketball coaches". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- ^ "Sonny To Vcu". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- ^ "Auburn Tigers Index". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ "Wimp Sanderson returns to radio with Matt Coulter on Birmingham's 97.3 The Zone". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- ^ "CSS to Broadcast Both Men's Basketball Games with UNF". Jacksonville University. 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2016-11-30.