Sonny Smith

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Sonny Smith
Sonny Smith
Sonny Smith
Title Head coach
Sport Basketball
Born November 15, 1936 (1936-11-15) (age 71)
Place of birth Roan Mountain, Tennessee
Career highlights
Championships
SEC Championship ('85)
CAA Championship ('96)
Awards
EC Coach of the Year ('78)
SEC Coach of the Year ('84, '89)
District VI Coach of Year, Division I ('84)
CAA Coach of the Year ('96)
Playing career
1954–1958 Milligan College
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1976–1978
1978–1989
1989–1996
East Tennessee State
Auburn
Virginia Commonwealth

Sonny Smith (born November 15, 1936) is a retired men's college basketball head coach. Originally from Roan Mountain, Tennessee, Smith served as a head coach for twenty-two seasons. He is credited with turning around losing programs at East Tennessee State University, Auburn University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.[1]

Smith is best remembered for his coaching years at Auburn University, where he was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1989. In 1985, he coached the Auburn Tigers to their first SEC Tournament Championship in school history.[2] During his years at Auburn, he coached NBA Hall of Fame player, Charles Barkley and was the only coach in school history to have three consecutive winning seasons, from 1984-86.[2] On January 3, 2007, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

After retiring from coaching, Smith joined his friend and former University of Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson on a sports talk radio show "The Sonny and Wimp Show" on WJOX-AM in Birmingham, Alabama.

[edit] References

  1. ^ sportstarsusa.com, Sonny Smith: Biography, retrieved, April 4, 2007.
  2. ^ a b ashof.org, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, retrieved, April 4, 2007.
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