Affable, unflappable, exuberant, versatile, dedicated, intense,hard-working and loads of fun to be around.
In a nutshell, that's James Smith. But if that's too long a description of the Lady Demon assistant basketball coach for you, how about one word?
Winner.
in everything he does, whether it's a round of golf, a horse game after practice or a showdown with national powers in the living room of a topflight recruit, James Smith knows that winning feeling.
Naturally, it carries over onto the basketball floor. Since he came to NSU to work with pat Pierson six years ago, Smith has been a major part of the most successful period in Lady Demon hoop history.
Northwestern has compiled a record of 91 wins and just 41 losses with Smith on the bench as assistant coach. That is a winning percentage of .689, which accurately reflects the importance of Smith to the Lady Demon program.
There've been some great combinations through the years - Monroe and DiMaggio, Bogart and Bacall, Burton and Taylor, Tracy and Hepburn - and the duo of Pierson and Smith has been as successful in its field as any of the best.
Together, they work at least as smoothly as Crockett and Tubbs, gunning down opponent after opponent - from the basketball floor to the recruiting trails and even on the racquetball court.Â
Smith's contributions to the Lady Demon program are many and varied. He's an excellent basketball tactician. He's a top-notch recruiter. He excels at and enjoys interacting with the young ladies on the Northwestern team, helping them chart a course in basketball and for life after the final horn sounds.
It means a little - no, make that a lot - extra Smith. This is a man who drove nearly 90 miles to work at NSU for more than four years, often former home in Ruston six or seven times a week.
Much to the dismay of gas stations along the way, Smith has now settled in Natchitoches and those road trips are history.
He came to Northwestern after a standout career at Downsville High School, where he built a 115-21 (.845 winning percentage) record in three seasons. Smith won three district championships and bowed out after guiding Downsville to the Class B state championship contest and a state runner-up finish.
Upon his arrival at Northwestern, Smith also tutored the Lady Demon softball team. He compiled a four-year mark of 63-52 before Pierson was able to bring on Linda Jones to handle that assignment beginning in 1984, freeing Smith to put his full efforts toward the basketball program.
A 38-year old native of Spearsille, Smith played four years of baseball and two years of basketball at Centenary College. One of his career highlights is serving up a pitch that future National League batting champion Ralph Garr cracked for a double in an exhibition game.
A 1975 graduate of Northeast Louisiana University, Smith is married to the former Susan Barron of Spearsville. Susan, an expert Trivial Pursuit player, is director of the Northwestern Testing Center. They are the proud parents of a pretty 13 year old daugher, Angela.
