NCAA Basketball rewind: Most impactful coaching hires after 2016 season

By Joey Loose | Jul 16, 2021

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 07: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on during the second half of the college basketball game against the Baylor Bears on January 07, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

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NCAA Basketball Kyle Smith San Francisco Dons (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

8. Kyle Smith (San Francisco)

San Francisco is one of those programs with true glory in their ancient history, winning back-to-back national titles with Bill Russell leading the way back in the 1950’s. The Dons have played fourth (or lower) fiddle to Gonzaga in the WCC for many years, having not sniffed the NCAA Tournament since 1998. The program brought aboard another new coach in 2016, but this one made some headway pretty quickly in the tough west coast league.

Kyle Smith was ready for the challenge San Francisco would bring. He already had plenty of experience with the league, having spent nearly a decade each on staff at San Diego and under Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s. Smith had just spent the last six years beginning his head coaching career at Columbia, leading the Lions to a CIT championship in 2016.

Getting right to work, Smith proved himself as one of the smarter minds in the game. The former Ivy League head coach won at least 20 games in each of his three seasons at San Francisco, with three fourth-place finishes in the WCC. Not only did he take the Dons to a pair of CBI appearances but he greatly improved the trajectory of the program before departing for Washington State in 2019.

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