Assistant Coach Steve Smith

    The top assistant at USC Upstate from 2005-2009, Steve Smith joined the Eagle program after seven overall seasons as a member of Eddie Payne's Spartans coaching staff. During Smith's tenure as an assistant coach with USC Upstate, the Spartans won two Peach Belt Conference championships and helped lead the team to two NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, advancing to the second round in 2005.
   "Steve Smith is one of the top young assistants in the country, definitely one of the top young assistants and recruiters in the country," said Coach Young. "He is definitely one of the premier young recruiters in the South who also happens to have a very good understanding of the game. Coach Smith's military background makes him very disciplined and dedicated to whatever goals he sets."
   Smith coached three players, Kevin Harrington, Jay Free and Luke Payne, who finished their careers with more than 1,000 points as well as C.J. Paul, who played from 2002-2004 and ranks in the top 10 for career marks in three-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage, steals and assists. In 2008-2009, senior Bobby Davis finished his career with 738 points and 501 rebounds in his two years with the Spartans. His 8.3 rebounds per game average topped Upstate's all-time list and he ranked 36th in all-time scoring.
   Smith attended Morgan State University from 1991-94 and played basketball for the Bears for two seasons. He enlisted in the Army, serving from 1994-2000 with assignments at Ft. Gordon (Ga.), Ft. Hood (Texas) and Ft. Meade (Md.). While in the Army, he specialized in computers, gaining invaluable training in that discipline. When a Commanding Officer saw Smith playing a pick-up game on base, he was later selected to participate as a member of the All-Army basketball team. That team played year-round and traveled throughout the country playing exhibition games against Division I colleges and universities. Smith and his teammates also completed against other United States service teams, as well as international teams.
   Upon completing his commitment to the Army in 2000, Smith enrolled at Trinity College to finish his degree while working as an assistant women's basketball coach at Allen University in Columbia, S.C. Smith spent two years at Allen and earned his bachelor's degree in Information Systems from Trinity in 2002.
   Smith was a two-time All-Region selection at Wade Hampton High School (S.C.) and helped lead the Red Devils to three conference championships. A native of Varnville, S.C., Smith and his wife, the former Fran Thompson, are the parents of a daughter, Tayler, and a son, Jordan, and serve as guardians for Smith's nephew, Justin.

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