2 minute read
ALPHONSO ANDERSON
After winning 17 games in his first season at Mayville State, the Comets set a school record for victories with 28 during the 2005-06 campaign, while winning the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) regular season and tournament championships. Mayville State advanced to the national quarterfinals before falling to the eventual national champions.
In 2007, Smith was named the NAIA II National Coach of the Year when the Comets defended their regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the National Championship game. It marked the first time any men’s basketball team from North Dakota had ever played for a national title. Smith also earned DAC Coach of the Year honors in both 2006 and 2007.
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Smith began his coaching career as an assistant at Mayville State during the 1996-97 season as he helped the Comets advance to the NAIA II Tournament. He then spent the 1997-98 season as a graduate assistant at Northern State in South Dakota, helping the Wolves to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II Tournament. He then spent three seasons as an assistant at Minot State in North Dakota, followed by three more seasons as an assistant at North Dakota State, where he began his affiliation with current Nebraska head coach Tim Miles. Following his three years as head coach at Mayville State, Smith worked under Miles at both Colorado State and Nebraska before becoming the head coach at South Dakota.
Smith is a Stephen, Minn., native and a 1996 graduate of the University of North Dakota, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education. He then earned his master’s degree in teaching and learning from Northern State, where he served as a graduate assistant for the 1997-98 season. The Wolves reached their first-ever Elite Eight that season.
Smith and his wife, Darcy, have three sons: Landon, Brady and Carson, along with a daughter, Lauren.
COACH SMITH VS THE NATION
Air Force Alabama State Arizona State Avila Boise State Bowling Green BYU Colorado State Creighton CSU Bakersfield CSU Northridge Denver Doane Drake Duke Eastern Oregon Eastern Washington Fairfield Florida Florida Gulf Coast Fort Wayne Fresno State Grambling State Gonzaga Hartford Hofstra Houston Illinois Iowa IUPUI Kansas City Kansas State Kent State LSU Mayville State Milwaukee Minnesota Mississippi Valley St. Montana Montana State Mount Marty Nebraska Nevada 3-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 2-1 2-0 0-2 4-0 0-1 1-1 2-0 6-4 1-0 2-0 0-1 2-0 2-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 6-4 4-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-2 0-1 0-1 4-2 2-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 1-0 2-0 5-0 1-0 0-1 2-1 New Mexico 4-1 North Carolina A&T 1-0 North Dakota State 4-4 North Texas 1-1 Northern Arizona 1-0 Northern Colorado 0-1 Northern Illinois 0-1 Northern Iowa 1-0 Northland College 1-0 Omaha 5-4 Oral Roberts 6-2 Peru State 1-0 Portland 0-1 Presentation 1-0 Sacramento State 2-0 Saint Katherine 1-0 Saint Mary’s 1-1 Sam Houston State 0-1 San Diego State 3-3 San José State 5-0 South Dakota Mines 1-0 South Dakota State 3-8 South Florida 1-0 Southern Mississippi 1-0 Stanford 0-1 TCU 0-1 UCLA 0-1 UC Irvine 1-0 UNLV 2-3 Utah Valley 1-1 UTSA 1-0 Washington 0-1 Wayne State (Neb.) 1-0 Weber State 2-0 Western Illinois 8-1 Wofford 0-1 Wyoming 5-0 Youngstown State 1-1 York College 1-0 Wright State 0-1
