How cool is this?
In the modern era, with NIL and instant transfers, it’s pretty easy for a coach to win in Year 1.
Well, at the top of the sport, that is.
When you get down to lower levels, what you find is that a) you don’t have the NIL resources that bigger schools have, and b) players are much more likely to prove themselves and transfer up.
Therefore, winning at smaller schools is tougher, and winning at most HBCUs is even more difficult.
Which makes what former Duke guard and assistant Nolan Smith has accomplished this season even more impressive: in his first season at Tennessee State, Smith is currently 21-9 and 15-5 in the OVC.
The OVC tournament starts on Friday, and if Tennessee State wins that, they’ll be playing in the NCAA. And if that happens, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll draw Duke in the first round.
- Nkrumah Named OVC Player of the Year; Smith Earns Co-Coach of the Year
- Nolan Smith wins OVC Coach of the Year at Tennessee State after one season
- Jon Scheyer’s Former Duke Basketball Co-Star Wins OVC COY
- Tennessee State basketball’s Nolan Smith voted OVC co-coach of the year
- Duke legend Nolan Smith Wins OVC Coach of the Year
- Duke legend Nolan Smith Wins OVC Coach of the Year
- Tennessee State’s Nolan Smith named OVC Coach of the Year
- Nolan Smith wins OVC Coach of the Year at Tennessee State after one season
Category: General Sports
