When Dave Smith left Tennessee to come to Washington, N.C., he least expected he would be the head basketball coach of an NBA all-star and be named by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association as an influential person for Black History Month.

Smith was raised in Houston, Texas. He was a standout student-athlete in high school and again in college at Tennessee State University where he played football and baseball.

He was the starting quarterback and pitcher while at TSU, and after graduation, was supposed to sign on with the Baltimore Orioles. However, a shoulder injury prevented him from playing and he accepted that he would never play professionally, so he accepted a position as a coach in a town he had never heard of: Washington.

“When I was told it was Washington, I thought it was Washington, D.C.,” Smith said. “But then when I came here I enjoyed it so much. It was peaceful.”

Smith started coaching at P.S. Jones Senior High from 1957 to 1968, coaching football, basketball and tennis. At the time, P.S. Jones was an all black school in Washington.

From there, Smith went on to coach Washington High School’s varsity basketball team from 1972 to 1991. In that 19 year span, Smith’s basketball team earned a record of 520 wins and 233 losses, and at one time had an impressive 56-game winning streak.

He guided his team to nine conference championships, four state runner-up finishes and two state titles.

“It was a joy to be there (WHS) and coach,” he said. “I had some really good players and I really enjoyed coaching there.”

Helping take the Pack to back-to-back state title games was NBA superstar, Dominique Wilkins, whose extensive career even caught Smith by surprise.

“I always knew he (Wilkins) was a good athlete and player,” he said. “He played in all-star games and I knew he would do well. But I had no idea he would be an all-American and make the NBA.”

It’s no surprise that Smith put together some powerhouse teams during a stellar coaching career at WHS. He has also been highlighted on the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s website (NCHSAA.org) for Black History Month as being an influential person in high school sports.

Though Smith has been a great coach to many student-athletes over the years, he does not pride himself on that accomplishment. His main goal and accomplishment was to always be a good teacher. Being a teacher and not having missed one single day in his 34 years as a teacher and a coach is something he is most proud of.

Smith even received an NCHSAA Distinguished Service Award in 1991 and is also a member of the Tennessee State University Football Hall of Fame. Smith will soon find out of if he will be in TSU’s Baseball Hall of Fame as well.

“I was undefeated my freshman and sophomore years in college,” he said, of pitching baseball for TSU. “I lost one game my junior year and one game my senior year.”

Smith said he is tremendously honored and truly surprised by being honored by NCHSAA.org. He said he misses coaching sometimes, but just like he told his players to do, he said left it all on the court.

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