Tribe Adds International Flavor with New Director of Basketball Operations

Jamie Smith, a native of Andover in Southern England, was named director of basketball operations for W&M.

06/12/07 4:45PM

Williamsburg - William and Mary head men’s basketball coach Tony Shaver announced the addition of Jamie Smith to the Tribe staff as the director of basketball operations. Smith spent last season at Montreat College (NAIA) as an assistant coach. He also has similar ties with Shaver to North Carolina, having graduated from the institution in 2006 and serving as a manager for the Tar Heel men’s basketball program.

“Jamie is a fantastic young man, who brings a unique international flavor to our program,” Shaver said. “He has a tremendous work ethic, and we are excited about his addition. He also possesses a number of different and innovative ideas that can do nothing but benefit our program as we continue to progress.”

At Montreat, Smith’s responsibilities included recruiting, scouting, strength and conditioning, film exchange, bench coaching, perimeter player development, and day-to-day basketball operations. He also served as the director of intramural athletics. During his time with the Cavaliers, Smith helped out in the areas of marketing and sports information as well. He generated campus spirit with the initiation of the “Montreat Maniacs” student fan club. Smith created and designed a summer camp brochure for Montreat’s nine varsity sports, the men’s and women’s basketball media guide and the College’s new athletic logo.

“The thing that drew me to William and Mary was Coach Shaver,” Smith said. “I had the opportunity to meet with Coach (Dean) Smith during my time at North Carolina. When I first met Coach Shaver, I was struck by the similarities in their mannerisms and the way they talked about basketball. I felt so comfortable in our meeting that I knew he would be a great coach to learn from. He is an accomplished head coach and has turned around Tribe basketball. I am excited to join a program that is on the brink of doing something very special.”

In 2006-07, Montreat finished the season at 19-13 and claimed the regular season Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) title. The Cavaliers were ranked No. 11 in the preseason national rankings, which was the highest in school history. Montreat advanced to the AAC championship final before falling to King College.

Smith studied the game under the tutelage of Roy Williams while working with the Tar Heels’ varsity and junior varsity teams as a manager from 2004-2006. Smith was fortunate to work with the program during its 2005 NCAA National Championship run. While at UNC, Smith assisted with individual workouts, practice and game day operations, strength and conditioning, and on campus recruiting. He also worked three years of camp operations for the Roy Williams’ Basketball camp.

Prior to his arrival in North Carolina, Smith was a student assistant coach under Derek Zeck at the College of Southern Idaho. From 1999-2002, the Golden Eagles achieved an 84-17 record, won regular season and tournament conference championships, and made it to the Elite Eight of the NJCAA Division I National Tournament.

During this time, the program developed eighteen players that went on to compete at the NCAA Division I level. Smith worked with three players that have since made NBA rosters: Smush Parker (Lakers), Tony Bobbitt (Lakers), and Yakhouba Diawara (Nuggets). Smith also worked with three players that are current members of the AND1 Mixtape Tour: Cardell Butler (AKA “Ballaholic”), Kenny Brunner (AKA “Bad Santa”), and Jerry Dupree (AKA “The Assassin”).

Smith began his coaching career in 1998-99 as the head coach at Cricklade College in England. During the same season he played basketball in England’s National League for the Southampton Trailblazers.

During his time at both Southern Idaho and North Carolina, Smith excelled in the classroom. He maintained a 3.95 grade point average and graduated with highest distinction as a double major in Exercise & Sport Science and Psychology at UNC. His academic achievement earned Smith induction into the prestigious academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa.

In addition to his involvement with Tar Heel basketball, Smith played on Carolina’s back-to-back national championship team handball squad under sport psychologist Dr. John “Doc” Silva. He was also a port oarsman for Carolina’s men’s crew team, and won a bronze medal in the lightweight four at the 2004 Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships.

Originally from the Andover in Southern England, Smith played varsity basketball for Coach Dave Sanders at Peter Symonds College in Winchester, England. He helped Symonds to back-to-back conference championships and an invitation to the British Colleges National Cup in 1997-98. He also toured Southern Europe with PSC men’s basketball and played in an international match against Gibraltar’s national team.

Testimonials on Jamie Smith
Roy Williams, University of North Carolina Head Coach
"Jamie Smith did an outstanding job helping us. I loved his work ethic and his enthusiasm. He works well with coaches and players. I'm sure he will be a successful college basketball coach."

Derek Zeck, Former College of Southern Idaho Head Coach
"You would be hard pressed to find a more eager, hardworking, loyal, and moral person than Jamie Smith. He has coached at the best Junior College in the nation and was the team manager for the North Carolina Tar Heels under Roy Williams. His character and credentials make Jamie one of the top young, up and coming coaches in the country."

Clint Deas of the Sheffield Arrows (English Basketball League)
“Coach Smith is known for being a hard worker and a person who is extremely dedicated in doing his part to make players successful. Having Coach Smith available to me at the College of Southern Idaho was a major key in the development of my game. He's someone who's been a part of winning programs and realizes what it takes to succeed.”

David Noel of the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA)
“Coach Smith was always one to keep the team loose, make everyone around him laugh, and keep the team in good sprits. Coach Smith is one of the best people to coach because he brings so much to the table. He wants the best for his players and will always go out of his way to make sure they have what they need.”

Yakhouba Diawara of the Denver Nuggets (NBA)
“We are all remembered for what we do when it counts. Coach Smith is always working hard, even when there is no one counting.”