Huston-Tillotson University has appointed John A. Smith Jr. as the head coach of the men’s basketball team.

A veteran coach with a wealth of coaching experience in the NCAA’s Division I as well as Texas high school basketball, Smith takes over one of HT’s most visible athletic programs after having served as an assistant coach at New Mexico State University during the 2023-24 season.

Smith has also served on the coaching staffs of Incarnate Word (2014-18), Texas A&M (2013-14), and his alma mater Northwestern State (La.) (2002-06). As member of each of those staffs, Smith helped guide his teams to postseason runs through the NCAA and College Basketball Invitational tournaments.

“We are proud to appoint Coach Smith as the new head coach for the men’s basketball team,” Director of Athletics Thomas Henderson said. “His appointment heralds the start of an exciting new era for the program under his leadership and visionary guidance.”

At the high school level, Smith is no stranger to the Central Texas prep hoops scene. Prior to joining the New Mexico State staff, he served as the head coach at Manor High School and Northeast Early College High School (formerly Reagan High School) in Austin. As an assistant coach, he helped guide San Antonio Wagner to a 35-5 record, a No. 2 ranking in the state, and the Class 5A state tournament final during the 2019-20 season that was abruptly halted due to the onset of the CoVID-19 pandemic.

Smith also found success as an assistant coach at Arlington’s Seguin High School, Garland Lake View Centennial High School, and nearby Temple High School. His 2013 Arlington Seguin team was ranked No. 1 in the state throughout the season, reached the Class 4A Regional finals and finished with a record of 33-5. The 2010 Temple High School team finished with a 29-7 record and a No. 8 ranking in Class 5A.

As a club basketball coach, Smith’s Texas Select team was the 2013 Under Armour national champion, and his team included Emmanuel Mudiay and Myles Turner, both of whom were drafted among the first 11 players taken in the 2015 NBA Draft.

A native of New Orleans, Smith’s recruitment reach extends nationwide, encompassing key regions such as Texas, Louisiana, Chicago, Florida, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Indiana, Memphis, Mississippi, and California, according to Henderson. “He is also adept at scouting talent from the national junior college scene and the transfer portal, maintaining strong connections with prep schools across Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and New England,” Henderson said.

Smith is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, and the National Association for Coaching Equity and Development. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

As Huston-Tillotson’s newest men’s basketball coach, Smith adds his name to a list of coaches that includes Henderson, who had been the head coach since the 2012-13 season. Henderson stepped down as the head coach earlier this year to serve as the university’s Director of Athletics.

Other notable HT men’s basketball head coaches include Elwood Plummer, who also guided Prairie View A&M to its first NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament appearance in 1998, and Baseball Hall-of-Famer and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson, who served as the head coach of the Samuel Huston College basketball team during the 1945-46 season, a year prior to his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

“I am incredibly honored to be back in Austin and excited to join Huston-Tillotson University as the next men’s basketball coach under the campus leadership of President Dr. Melva K. Wallace,” Smith said. “I eagerly anticipate strengthening alumni and community relationships, building a robust and competitive basketball program, promoting both academic and athletic excellence, and contributing to the institution’s rich legacy.