A deep and continuing commitment to excellence and success have been a way of life for James Smith, a classic competitor and an intense, demanding leader as a coach.
Competition is what Smith lives for. He thrives on close situations and heart stopping action. His players know it and are instilled with that same competitive nature. His opponents know they're in for a fight every time a Smith coached team steps on the floor. Lady Demon fans have come to expect it and expect no less as Smith enters his fifth season as the "leader of the pack."
Smith arrived on the scene at Northwestern 13 years ago when he joined the Lady Demon staff as an assistant to former head coach Pat Pierson. With him, Smith brought some pretty "eye-popping" credentials in his portfolio. At Downsville High School, he had been one of the most successful coaches in Louisiana prep history where h compiled a 115-21 record in his three years there, an incredible 85 percent winning percentage. His Class B powerhouse also captured three district titles and earned a state title game appearance during his tenure.
At Northwestern, he assisted Pierson for eight years as assistant coach. The Lady Demons, powered by his patented "run-and-gun" offense, posted a glaring 135-56 (.707) mark during that period, including a 1986 WNIT appearance. That marked the first time a Lady Demon team had received an invitation to a national tournament since 1971 when a then non-university funded Lady Demon team played in the WNIT.
Smith's offensive forte consistently landed Northwestern among the nation's scoring elite. From 1984-85 through 1986-87, the Lady Demons were never lower than sixth in scoring offense and would up with the fourth most potent offense in the 1984-85 season averaging 88 points per game. His 1985-86 offense, that ranked eighth in the entire nation (88.3 ppg), shined as it produced a single game school record 134 points against Hawaii Pacific (3/1/86).
After eight years of unprecedented success at Northwestern, the winning team was broken up when Pierson, the winningest coach in Lady Demon basketball history, resigned to take the women's basketball coaching job at East Carolina. Smith was the obvious choice to succeed her and since that time hasn't disappointed Northwestern faithful. In four years at the controls, he's posted a 71-43 (.623) ledger. In just his second year at the helm, he led the Lady Demons to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance posting a 22-8 record en route. For his hard work, Smith captured Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors.
His list of accomplishments as Northwestern's "court general" is long and impressive. Just to name a few:
- Three straight SLC Tournament appearances (1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90) and two trips that the finals (1988-89, 1989-90).
- Wins over nationally ranked Stephen F. Austin (No. 11 SFA 78-76, 2/16/89) and Ole Miss (No. 16 Ole Miss 82-69, 12-15-89).
- Received Top 20 votes for national rankings during 1988-89 season
- Produced two of the greatest Lady Demons to ever wear the uniform, Linda Grayson, Northwestern's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, and Pam Hudson, the 1989-90 national rebounding champion and USBWA second team All-American
- Northwestern has recorded 12 consecutive winning seasons with Smith on the bench as an assistant and head coach
A native of Spearsville, Louisiana, Smith excelled on the hardwoods and diamonds during an outstanding prep athletic career in baseball and basketball. He then moved on to Centenary College where he was a two-year letterman on the basketball court and a four-year baseball letterman, where the right-hander was the Gents answer to Melido Perez. He received his degree from Northeast Louisiana in 1975 following a stint in the Marine Corps.
While he may be the boss around the Northwestern Lady Demons hardwoods, he'll be the first to tell you that the real boss is his wife of 20 years, Susan, who is Registrar at the Louisiana School for Math, Sciences and Arts. Thy have one daughter Angela, who is a graduate of Natchitoches Central High School and is currently a freshman at Northwestern State.
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