Former Duke basketball All-American Nolan Smith, who also played in the NBA, was hired Friday as coach of the Tennessee State basketball team.
Smith, 36, spent last season as an assistant on coach Penny Hardaway’s staff at Memphis after being at Louisville the previous two seasons. A news conference introducing Smith as TSU’s new coach is expected to take place next week on campus.
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Smith replaces Brian “Penny” Collins, who resigned in June after seven seasons to accept a position on the Memphis Grizzlies‘ staff. Collins led TSU to a 17-16 record and the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament in 2024-25.
Dec 21, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers assistant coach Nolan Smith looks on against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images
Smith began his career at Duke. He spent two years as a special assistant to coach Mike Krzyzewski from 2016-18 before becoming the Blue Devils director of basketball operations.
In 2021 Krzyzewski promoted Smith to assistant coach.
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As a player, Smith was a consensus first-team All-American and the ACC player of the year in 2011. He helped lead Duke to three consecutive ACC championships and the 2010 NCAA national championship.
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The Upper Marlboro, Maryland native was a two-time All-ACC selection, who led the conference in scoring as a senior (20.6 ppg) during the 2010-11 season, when he was Duke’s team captain.
He ranks 17th on Duke’s career scoring chart with 1,911 points and helped lead the Blue Devils to a 121-22 career record, the fifth-most victories for a player at Duke and sixth in ACC history.
Smith was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 21st overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He played four seasons in professional basketball in the NBA, G-League and overseas.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSU basketball lands Memphis assistant Nolan Smith as next coach
