Smith guiding Lady Apache hoops

Family has always played a role in Kent Smith’s life.

A father of three with one child in college and the other two living with him, Smith has had to make many decisions based on what was best for his offspring, including employment decisions. There was even a time where Smith turned down a lucrative offer from Gonzales.

“If I had accepted the Gonzales (girls basketball) coach position back in 2009-10, this would be my fourth year here,” he said. “But I had just finished my first year at Kemp and I just earned custody of my older two children so the timing wasn’t right back then.”

Apparently good things come to those who wait. Smith had another opportunity to become the Lady Apaches basketball coach in June, and he accepted.

Gonzales lost its first five games heading into the Marion Tournament this weekend, but Smith remains optimistic. The results from Thursday’s games were not available at press time.

“There’s a lot of potential here,” Smith said. “Gonzales has always been a good basketball school. We’re in a tough district where all the teams seem to be good, and we don’t have a lot of experience coming back. But we have good outside shooters.”

The Lady Apaches returned just one starter from a year ago in shooting guard Taylor West. In addition to West, point guard Kelsey Hardy also returned to give Gonzales two returning lettermen.

Eight varsity newcomers joined Hardy and West this season. They are guards Rena Camarillo, Cassidy LaFleur, Samantha Pippin and Tajerrica Smith, and forwards Ashli Malatek, Jade McCook, Kelsey Pippin and Tamika White.

Prior to Smith’s arrival at Gonzales, he served as the girls basketball coach at Class 3A Kemp from 2008-12.

Prior to that he was the girls basketball coach at Christoval and Cross Plains.

Unlike many girls basketball coaches, Smith actually cut his coaching teeth in boys sports as he began his career as a football and basketball assistant at Edison Junior High in San Angelo from 1990-97. While in San Angelo, Smith had the privilege of working with a pair of coaches with fame – Jimmy Morris (The Rookie) and Gary Gaines (Friday Night Lights).

He also served as the head boys basketball coach at Miles from 1998-2000 before he left the coaching ranks for a little while. Smith worked with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) for three years as he trained both peace officers and TABC officers.

“I enjoyed working with TABC, but I really missed coaching,” he said.

When Smith decided to go back into coaching, he also made another decision that went along with it.

He made the transition from boys sports to girls.

“I switched to girls sports so I could have more time with my family in the fall,” Smith said. “I worked with some great football coaches, but it was a killer time wise. I also love basketball.”

While in San Marcos, Smith met his future wife, Cynthia. Like Kent, Cynthia is a coach in Gonzales ISD as she coaches basketball, volleyball and track and field at Gonzales Junior High.

The past two seasons, Cynthia was an assistant girls soccer and volleyball coach at Corsicana. But the opportunity to come to Gonzales was just too good to pass up a second time.

“We love this area,” Smith said. “It’s closer not only to my wife’s family, but also my family out in West Texas. We’re also close to the (San Antonio) Spurs.”

But family still played a role in that decision.