TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Steve Smith, who helped coach Clemson to the Sweet 16 of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, has been named an assistant coach at Florida State as announced by Seminole Head Coach Leonard Hamilton.
“I have known Coach Smith for a decade or more, and he is well respected in our profession,” said Hamilton. “He knows the ACC, and he knows the brand of basketball we play at Florida State. I’m confident he will be an outstanding addition to our staff.”
During his seven seasons at Clemson, Smith recruited and coached three of the Tigers’ top players in two-time All-ACC selection Jaron Blossomgame, 2014 ACC Defensive Player of the Year K.J. McDaniels and Donte Grantham. He helped lead the Tigers to the semifinals of the 2014 NIT in addition to their run in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Clemson finished tied for third in the ACC standings in 2018.
A native of Varnville, S.C., Smith was an assistant coach at both Georgia Southern (2010-12) and USC Upstate (2002-09) before coaching at Clemson during one of the best seven-year periods in the history of the program. The Tigers averaged 18.7 wins and won six postseason games with Smith on the bench. The Tigers’ 25 wins during the 2018 season marked just the third time Clemson had won 25 games in the history of the program. Clemson won a school-record 11 ACC games including victories over No. 17 ranked North Carolina and No. 22 ranked Florida. Clemson was defeated in the NCAA Tournament by No. 1 seeded Kansas, 80-76, as they fell just four points shy of only the second Elite Eight appearance in school history.
Smith and his wife, Fran, have three children: daughters Tayler (20, a junior in college) and Karsyn (age 6, entering 1st grade), and a son, Jordan (age 11, entering 6th grade).
