Sonny Smith
{{Short description|American college basketball coach}}
{{About||the San Francisco musician|Sonny Smith (musician)|the baseball player|George Smith (Negro leagues)}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Sonny Smith
| image = Sonny Smith, 1972.png
| caption = Smith, {{Circa|1972}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1936|11|15}}
| birth_place = Roan Mountain, Tennessee, U.S.
| player_years1 = 1954–1956
| player_team1 = Holmes CC
| player_years2 = 1956–1958
| player_team2 = Milligan
| player_positions = Guard
| coach_years1 = 1969–1970
| coach_team1 = William & Mary (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1970–1971
| coach_team2 = Pepperdine (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1971–1976
| coach_team3 = Virginia Tech (assistant)
| coach_years4 = 1976–1978
| coach_team4 = East Tennessee State
| coach_years5 = 1978–1989
| coach_team5 = Auburn
| coach_years6 = 1989–1998
| coach_team6 = VCU
| overall_record = 339–304
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = 7–6 (NCAA)
0–1 (NIT)
| championships = SEC tournament (1985)
CAA regular season (1996)
CAA tournament (1996)
| awards = NABC District 6 Coach of the Year (1984)
OVC Coach of the Year (1978)
2× SEC Coach of the Year (1984, 1988)
CAA Coach of the Year (1996)
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
| coaching_records =
}}
Charles H. "Sonny" Smith (born November 15, 1936) is an American former college basketball coach. Originally from Roan Mountain, Tennessee, Smith served as a head coach for 22 seasons. Best known as the head coach at Auburn from 1978 to 1989, he also coached at East Tennessee State (1976–1978) and VCU (1989–1998). Smith won the 1985 SEC tournament championship while at Auburn, and won both the CAA regular season and tournament titles in 1996 while at VCU. He made six NCAA tournament appearances as a head coach, five at Auburn and one at VCU. Smith was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
East Tennessee State
Sonny Smith was hired by East Tennessee State in 1976. He coached the Buccaneers for two seasons before leaving to become the head coach at Auburn. Smith finished with a record of 30–23 (.566) while at East Tennessee State.
Auburn
Sonny Smith was hired by Auburn in the summer of 1978 after the recently hired Paul Lambert died in a hotel fire. Smith took the Auburn job despite returning all of his starters from the year before and moving into a new arena at East Tennessee State.{{Cite news|url=http://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/index.ssf/2014/03/looking_back_where_auburn_foun.html|title=Looking back: Where Auburn found its last five basketball coaches|newspaper=AL.com|access-date=2016-11-30}}
Smith guided Auburn to its first ever NCAA tournament appearance in 1984, led by future Hall of Fame player Charles Barkley. The Tigers were upset in the First Round, however, by the 12th-seeded Richmond Spiders. Smith was named SEC Coach of the Year following the 1984 season.
The 1985 regular season was considered a letdown, with the Tigers going 8–10 in conference play. Before the SEC tournament, Smith announced his plan to retire at the end of the season. However, Smith and tournament MVP Chuck Person led Auburn to its first ever SEC tournament championship, winning four games in four days for the first time in tournament history. He then coached that team to the Sweet Sixteen of the 1985 NCAA tournament. Following this success, and despite receiving an offer from his former school, East Tennessee State,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/26/sports/sports-people-offer-to-sonny-smith.html|title=SPORTS PEOPLE; Offer to Sonny Smith|date=1985-03-26|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-11-30}} Smith decided to remain at Auburn.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/19/sports/sports-people-change-of-heart.html|title=SPORTS PEOPLE; Change of Heart|date=1985-03-19|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-11-30}} Smith would go on to lead the Tigers to three more NCAA Tournament appearances, making it as far as the Elite Eight in 1986. This streak of five straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the longest in Auburn history. Smith was again named SEC Coach of the Year following the 1988 season.
Following a losing season in 1989, Smith left Auburn to become the head coach at VCU, citing his doubts that he could return Auburn to the success of the previous five seasons.{{Cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1989/03/20/sonny-to-vcu/|title=Sonny To Vcu|newspaper=tribunedigital-orlandosentinel|access-date=2016-11-30}} His record at Auburn was 173–154 (.529). Until 2020, he was the only coach in Auburn men's basketball history to have three consecutive 20-win seasons.{{Cite web|title=Auburn Tigers Index|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/auburn/|access-date=2022-01-20|website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com|language=en}}
VCU
Though he did not achieve the level of success that he had while at Auburn, Sonny Smith's tenure at VCU was not without its bright spots. In his fourth season he led the Rams to 20 wins and an invitation to the 1993 NIT. Smith's best season at VCU was his seventh, the 1995–96 season. VCU had just left the struggling Metro Conference to become a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, and Smith led them to success in the new conference immediately. The Rams won both the CAA regular season and tournament championships, earning Smith's only NCAA tournament bid at VCU. Smith was named CAA Coach of the Year at the end of the season.
Smith retired at the end of the 1997–98 season, with his longtime assistant coach Mack McCarthy taking over as head coach at VCU. Smith finished at VCU with a record of 136–127 (.517), and an overall head coaching record of 339–304 (.527).
Broadcasting career
After retiring from coaching, Smith joined his friend and former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson on a sports talk radio show "The Sonny and Wimp Show" on WJOX-AM in Birmingham, Alabama. The show ran for more than six years before it was canceled in 2006.{{Cite news|url=http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/07/wimp_sanderson_returns_to_the.html|title=Wimp Sanderson returns to radio with Matt Coulter on Birmingham's 97.3 The Zone|newspaper=AL.com|access-date=2016-11-30}} From 2003 to 2014, Smith provided the color commentary for the Atlantic Sun Game of the Week on CSS.{{Cite news|url=http://www.judolphins.com/sports/mbkb/2013-14/releases/20140804ztp52g|title=CSS to Broadcast Both Men's Basketball Games with UNF|date=2013-10-01|newspaper=Jacksonville University|access-date=2016-11-30}} Smith currently works alongside Andy Burcham as the color commentator for Auburn men's basketball games on the Auburn Sports Network radio broadcast.
Head coaching record
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = East Tennessee State Buccaneers
| conference = Ohio Valley Conference
| startyear = 1976
| endyear = 1978
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1976–77
| name = East Tennessee State
| overall = 12–14
| conference = 6–8
| confstanding = 5th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1977–78
| name = East Tennessee State
| overall = 18–9
| conference = 10–4
| confstanding = 2nd
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = East Tennessee State
| overall = 30–23 ({{Winning percentage|30|23}})
| confrecord = 16–12 ({{Winning percentage|16|12}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Auburn Tigers
| conference = Southeastern Conference
| startyear = 1978
| endyear = 1989
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1978–79
| name = Auburn
| overall = 13–16
| conference = 5–13
| confstanding = 9th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1979–80
| name = Auburn
| overall = 10–18
| conference = 5–13
| confstanding = 9th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1980–81
| name = Auburn
| overall = 11–16
| conference = 4–14
| confstanding = 9th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1981–82
| name = Auburn
| overall = 14–14
| conference = 7–11
| confstanding = 7th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1982–83
| name = Auburn
| overall = 15–13
| conference = 8–10
| confstanding = 8th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1983–84
| name = Auburn
| overall = 20–11
| conference = 12–6
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NCAA Division I first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season = 1984–85
| name = Auburn
| overall = 22–12
| conference = 8–10
| confstanding = 7th
| postseason = NCAA Division I Sweet 16
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1985–86
| name = Auburn
| overall = 22–11
| conference = 13–5
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NCAA Division I Elite Eight
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1986–87
| name = Auburn
| overall = 18–13
| conference = 9–9
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason = NCAA Division I second round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1987–88
| name = Auburn
| overall = 19–11
| conference = 11–7
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NCAA Division I second round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1988–89
| name = Auburn
| overall = 9–19
| conference = 2–16
| confstanding = 10th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Auburn
| overall = 173–154 ({{Winning percentage|173|154}})
| confrecord = 84–114 ({{Winning percentage|84|114}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = VCU Rams
| conference = Sun Belt Conference
| startyear = 1989
| endyear = 1991
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1989–90
| name = VCU
| overall = 11–17
| conference = 5–9
| confstanding = T–6th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1990–91
| name = VCU
| overall = 14–17
| conference = 7–7
| confstanding = 5th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = VCU Rams
| conference = Metro Conference
| startyear = 1991
| endyear = 1995
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1991–92
| name = VCU
| overall = 14–15
| conference = 5–7
| confstanding = T–5th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1992–93
| name = VCU
| overall = 20–10
| conference = 7–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason = NIT first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1993–94
| name = VCU
| overall = 14–13
| conference = 5–7
| confstanding = T–5th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1994–95
| name = VCU
| overall = 16–14
| conference = 3–9
| confstanding = 7th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = VCU Rams
| conference = Colonial Athletic Association
| startyear = 1995
| endyear = 1998
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 1995–96
| name = VCU
| overall = 24–9
| conference = 14–2
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Division I first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1996–97
| name = VCU
| overall = 14–13
| conference = 9–7
| confstanding = T–3rd
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1997–98
| name = VCU
| overall = 9–19
| conference = 4–12
| confstanding = 9th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = VCU
| overall = 136–127 ({{Winning percentage|136|127}})
| confrecord = 59–65 ({{Winning percentage|59|65}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = 339–304 ({{Winning percentage|339|304}})
}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Navboxes| list =
{{East Tennessee State Buccaneers basketball coach navbox}}
{{Auburn Tigers men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{VCU Rams men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Sonny}}
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Auburn Tigers basketball broadcasters
Category:Auburn Tigers men's basketball coaches
Category:Basketball coaches from Tennessee
Category:Basketball players from Tennessee
Category:College basketball announcers in the United States
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:East Tennessee State Buccaneers men's basketball coaches
Category:Holmes Community College alumni
Category:Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
Category:Milligan Buffaloes men's basketball players
Category:People from Carter County, Tennessee
Category:VCU Rams men's basketball coaches