Former CMU basketball coach takes head job at Kalamazoo College
Former Central Michigan University Head Coach Jay Smith verbally accepted the head coaching job of Kalamazoo College's men's basketball team Tuesday.
"I am elated to accept the position of head men's basketball coach at Kalamazoo College," Smith said in the release. "I am truly grateful for the opportunity that [Director of Athletics] Kristen Smith and the search committee has given me. I am looking forward to the challenge of taking this program and molding it into a championship culture. It is going to take time and patience to create the brand that we as a unit can believe in and thrive in for years to come."
Smith led the Chippewas for nine years from 1998 to 2006. He brought a pair of Mid-American Conference regular season championships to Mount Pleasant in 2001 and 2003. Smith, who was twice named MAC Coach of the Year, coached CMU to a MAC Tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
His 2002-03 team's 25 wins was the most in a single season in school history. Smith recruited and coached Chris Kaman, the 2003 MAC Player of the Year and sixth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Smith resigned from CMU on May 11, 2006.
