Longtime MWSU Coach Announces Retirement
By: Justin Sampson
Updated: December 6, 2012
(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) Missouri Western head men's basketball coach, Tom Smith, announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 season Wednesday morning during a press conference at the Griffons' Indoor Sports Complex.
Smith is in his 25th year as the head coach at Western and has 38 years of coaching experience overall. He became the third coach in program history when he joined Missouri Western in 1988. Before that, he also had coaching stints at Central Missouri and Division I school Valparaiso.
He stands as the winningest coach in both program and MIAA history with 528 victories. He also ranks third in wins among active coaches in Division II with a 612-448 career mark.
He coached his 1,000th career game back on March 13, 2010 when Missouri Western lost to his former school, Central Missouri, in the NCAA South Central Regional. He won his 600th game on November 13th, 2011 against Fontbonne.
To this point, he's amassed five regular season MIAA Championships, four postseason championships, and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances.
"After 38 years, if you can go on your own terms, you've been pretty lucky," Smith said Wednesday. "I'm pretty lucky."
The Griffons (4-2) open Smith's final stint through MIAA play this evening when they host Truman State at 7:30 p.m.
