
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 24, 1994                   TAG: 9402240230
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ALLEGHANY COACH WILL STEP DOWN

Alleghany's Jimmy Smith, one of Timesland's most successful boys' basketball coaches, says he's giving up his coaching job at the end of the season.

Smith, whose Mountaineers (12-8) play Salem on Friday in the Blue Ridge District tournament semifinals, informed his team at Wednesday's practice.

"I'm in a graduate program in guidance that I started last fall. There are classes on Tuesday night. It's already a problem. I'm not taking the class now that I'm supposed to be. I have to make it up, and the program is for three years," Smith said. "I've been thinking about this. I was looking at coaching for 20 years, but I've got two boys and I'm looking at something career-wise. I won't coach basketball all my life. I'm looking to improve professionally."

Smith has been head coach at Alleghany County and then Alleghany High School for 13 years. His teams have a 183-117 record with four Blue Ridge District titles, two Region III titles and three appearances in the Group AA state tournament - the most for any current Blue Ridge District school.

Smith has been with Alleghany 18 years, serving the first five as an assistant or junior high coach. He is a native of Blacksburg who played at Radford College under coach Chuck Taylor.

He won't be leaving coaching completely. He will coach boys' tennis at Alleghany.

Smith's best teams came from 1986 through 1987 when he had 6-foot-6 Sam Cook, 6-6 Todd Cauthorn and guard Bryan Hammk, who was the Timesland boys' athlete of the year in 1987. During that stretch, Alleghany went 62-16.

Smith's teams always have played tough schedules. The Mountaineers have been matched against many Group AAA teams in the Roanoke Valley District, and they played the strong G.W. Carver teams of the mid-1980s when the Trojans, who ruled Group A, were stronger than most Piedmont District squads.

"We had some good years. The biggest thing I remember is the first year I came here. My first junior varsity team was 3-16. That was pretty good because we beat Covington and they told me it had been years since we beat Covington [in basketball]," said Smith.

This season Alleghany finished tied for third in the regular season Blue Ridge District race with William Byrd.

by CNB