How do you sum up a legend like Ian Smith in a few simple words?
Educator. Coach. Mentor. Inspiration. Friend. Father-figure. Sportsman. Competitor. Gentleman. Beloved local institution.
Smith was all these things and so much more.
Sadly, the former coach of the Oxford High School girls varsity basketball team passed away Monday, January 30. He was 61.
During his 27 magical years on the court, Smith led his girls to an impressive 493 victories (the second most wins in the state for a girls basketball coach), but there was one opponent he simply couldn’t beat ? cancer.
First diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood-borne cancer that attacks bone marrow, in 1998, Smith waged a brave battle against the disease.
From a bone marrow transplant to numerous chemotherapy treatments, Smith faced it all with the grace and dignity of a true champion.
‘Courage without complaint? was how Walt Studinger, a fellow Oxford High teacher and basketball coach, described the way Smith ? or ‘Smitty? as he was affectionately known to friends ? faced cancer.
‘He still continued to live life to its fullest, still enjoyed his friends,? said Studinger, who befriended Smith in 1969 while the two were teammates on Wayne State University’s basketball team.
Studinger attributed their close 37-year friendship to Smith’s ‘pleasant? and ‘personable? demeanor along with his ‘great sense of humor,? which ‘remained a constant? to the end, despite ‘the hand he was dealt? health-wise.
‘He always had a smile on his face and always enjoyed a good laugh,? he said.
On the court, Smith will be remembered as a fierce competitor.
His coaching resulted in an Oxford style of basketball that was famous and feared for decades. Typically, an Ian Smith team would outrun, out-hustle and out-play every team it faced.
The proof was in his record ? 493 wins, 135 losses, 13 league titles, 16 district championships, six regional crowns, six quarter-final appearances and two appearances in the final four.
While most high school girls basketball coaches never experience a season with 20 or more wins, Smith had 14 such seasons. Prior to his retirement in 2002, his last three seasons boasted a record of 66 wins and five losses.
It’s no wonder he was inducted into the Michigan Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001. The new OHS gym was even named after him in August 2004.
‘I think his record speaks for itself,? Studinger said.
As a coach, Smith was ‘pretty demanding? of his players, according to Leaton Noftz, Oxford’s athletic director from 1970 to 1992. ‘He expected a lot of commitment from his girls. They basically worked all year long,? Noftz said. ‘He demanded a lot out of the kids, but he never expected any more than he was willing to give them.?
‘He was always on the court running with us, tearing us up with his mad three-point shot,? said Kristi McDevitt, who played on the varsity basketball squad from 1994-1996.
‘His coaching style was such that he was able to get the most out of them,? Noftz said.
‘He had a way of teaching that made everyone feel good about themselves, made everyone want to give it their all,? said Becky Graves, a former player from 1992-1993 and former OHS girls varsity basketball coach. ‘He was very competitive, but still made it fun.?
‘He was always firm, but very fair. He was honest,? Graves noted.
Not only was Smith ‘highly respected by his peers,? Noftz said ‘his techniques and his style of basketball were copied by many? of them.
‘That’s the highest form of flattery.?
‘He knew the game inside and out,? said Jillyn (Stork) Alban, who played for Smith from 1998-2000. ‘He knew every position and had the ability to teach them all.?
Although he was competitive and loved to win, Smith always preached sportsmanship and worked hard to instill a sense of fair play in his teams.
‘He had a rule that if a player got a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct, they sat on the bench. They were finished for that game,? said Chuck Currie, a friend of Smith’s for more than 30 years and fellow Oxford teacher and basketball coach.
It didn’t matter if it was a big game or the player was a starting star, ‘that was the rule and he didn’t play favorites,? Currie explained. ‘He felt the kids had no business doing things that would embarrass them and the program.?
His hard-line against technical fouls ‘showed you had to respect the referees, respect the other coaches and respect the other teams,? according to Alban.
And it worked. During his 27-year career, his teams had only five technical fouls. Smith himself never drew one.
‘He didn’t argue with officials or complain,? Currie said. ‘I think he wanted to get across to the kids that these guys are doing their job and doing it the best they can. You have to respect that.?
‘If the officials made a bad call, he just let it go ? nothing you can do about it. Deal with it and move on. That’s pretty much the way his life was,? Currie said.
‘He was totally a gentleman,? Noftz said.
Beyond the triumphs and tribulations on the basketball court, Smith loved his players like they were his own children, forging intimate bonds with them that lasted years after graduation.
‘My wife (Joann) and I never had children, so they are like our extended family,? Smith told the Leader in Jan. 2002. ‘The thing that has made it special is the great relationships with the girls. I’ve been to more weddings and seen more babies than you can imagine and it’s always special.?
One former player, Shannon Lewis, even named her firstborn son Ian.
The special relationships Smith and his players shared can be best expressed through their own words.
‘He was such a great friend,? said Dana (Millard) Nowacki, who played for Smith from 1998-2001. ‘He was the person you always knew you could call with any type of problem . . .You always knew that you could call him and not be embarrassed or uncomfortable. You could tell him anything. He never made you feel stupid.?
‘He always had something to say to make you feel better and walk away feeling like you had some resolution.?
‘He inspired me to want to make a difference in other people’s lives,? said Nowacki, noting it’s because of Smith she took the job coaching junior varsity volleyball for Oxford. ‘He was one of the most amazing men I’ve ever known.?
Graves noted that Smith ‘didn’t just care about winning a basketball game, he cared about his players.? She said he took a ‘genuine interest? in their lives, their grades, the people in their lives, their parents, etc.
‘He was just always there to listen to whatever you had to day,? she said. For that reason, ‘people wanted to be around him. Everybody was drawn to him.?
Graves said she ‘always looked up to him as a role model? and later ‘a mentor? as she coached basketball at Oxford. ‘I just kept following in his footsteps,? she said.
Former player Kristi McDevitt credits Smith with turning her life around in high school after she fell in with the wrong crowd.
‘He took notice immediately and pulled me aside in gym class. The words that came out of his mouth changed my life. He said, ‘If you ever want to play basketball for me, you had better get your act together and start acting like an athlete and a respectable young lady.? He knew I was up to no good, but from that moment on, I was on the straight and narrow. All I wanted to do was have his approval and that was how I lived out the rest of my high school days. Would coach approve? What would coach think?? she explained.
McDevitt, now coach of Oxford’s varsity volleyball team, still measures herself by Smith’s standards. ‘I hope that one day I will become half the coach he was.?
But Smith was more than just a great coach, he was also a passionate and dedicated history/social studies teacher at OHS from 1975 to 1999.
‘In the classroom, teaching history, something a lot of kids aren’t really interested in, he made it fun ? you wanted to learn,? said Sue (Doyle) Fazzini, a former student and player from 1987-1988. ‘I have so much respect for him.?
From field trips to Gettysburg and interviewing Vietnam veterans to starting a mini-museum with military uniforms and discussing current events, Smith made history come alive for his students.
‘He tried to make things as real for them as he could,? Currie recalled.
Instead of rattling off a bunch of dates and dry facts, Smith made history relevant and interesting.
‘He didn’t just lecture, he played out certain events in great detail,? said former student Graves. ‘He’s probably the most knowledgable person I’ve ever met.?
Studinger said Smith was an outstanding educator because ‘the court and the classroom were just extensions of each other. He was an excellent teacher regardless of the location.?
While there is no easy way to sum up a man like Ian Smith, Graves came the closest when she said, ‘He was one of a kind, a very remarkable person. In my mind, he was a hero and a legend. Someone that will never be forgotten.?
A memorial service for Ian Smith will take place Sunday, February 12 at 1 p.m. at the Oxford Middle School Gymnasium (1400 Lakeville Rd.)