Smith joins Drew, four others in Valpo Hall of Fame class

Tom Smith has been just fine since walking away as the Valparaiso University men's basketball head coach in 1988.

His exit paved the way for his successor, Homer Drew, to eventually build a dynasty. Today, both will be inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame.

Smith has been the head coach at Missouri Western State since 1989, compiling a record of 436-258 at the NCAA Division II school in St. Joseph that competes in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association. He has already been inducted into the Missouri Western and Missouri Basketball Coaches halls of fame.

He may not have expected those numbers or that recognition when he resigned as Valpo's coach after eight seasons. Smith's Valpo record of 84-138 during the school's first decade in NCAA Division I included back-to-back 12-16 seasons at the end, with under-sized teams featuring Valpo High graduates Scott Anselm, Mike Jones and Smith's son, Todd.

The Gary native had coached at Central Missouri from 1975 to 1980, so, in a way, he returned to his second home after leaving Northwest Indiana.

"I was lucky that I could make the move out of (Valpo), probably ahead of the posse," Smith said. "I had a chance to come back to a situation that I was fairly familiar with, and I felt like I knew what it took to get it done here (at Western). Fortunately, I've had a lot of really, really good players.

"I probably didn't do the greatest job there (at Valpo), but I did move on my own and landed on my feet. I think the first 20 years I was here (at Western), we averaged 20 wins a season."

Smith's teams have appeared in 11 NCAA Division II national tournaments, and he has been named the MIAA Coach of the Year twice at Western. He's coached two All-Americans and 49 all-conference players in the past 23 seasons.

He said he's able to recruit talented junior college players who may not have the grades to transfer to a Division I school.

Smith was a star player for the Crusaders in the mid-1960s. His junior and senior seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66), he played for legendary coach Gene Bartow on high-scoring teams that eclipsed 100 points 15 times.

A highlight for Smith was a 114-96 victory over Purdue on Dec. 22, 1965, in VU's old Hilltop Gym.

"It was a huge, huge game," Smith said. "For some reason the Purdue coach owed a game to Valpo. Gene found out about it and got him to come and play that game. They had Dave Schellhase, who was the leading scorer in the country (32.5 points per game).

"Steve Cook, one of our players who is in the Hall of Fame, guarded him and did a great job. We pressed. It wasn't a great Purdue team, but it was still a good team. It was a huge win."

Smith said he played against Jerry Sloan at Evansville, and in his last game the Crusaders lost to Phil Jackson and North Dakota 112-82 in a NCAA Midwest Regional.

But it was his lifetime relationship with Bartow, who died last month, that led to Smith's successful coaching career.

"The man shaped my whole life," Smith said. "I got my first job at Drake, because he knew the coach. Central Missouri, he helped me get that job. I came back to Valpo; he was the deciding factor. When I left Valpo and needed to get this job, he went out on a limb for me here again.

"Not only did I relish playing for Coach Bartow, but I think the rest of my life I owed him. I got a chance to tell him that when he went into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and both of us for the first time in our lives cried together."

Smith said he was told two years ago by Hall of Fame committee member Bruce Lindner, also a former VU player, that he'd been selected. He hadn't taken the opportunity to attend a ceremony, but is missing one of his games tonight to be in Valpo with his wife, Patsy.

"I came back in September for a reunion with some friends in Valpo," Smith said. "I just walked around, and there were a couple pictures, one in the hallway when I was an assistant and one when I was an honorable mention All-American.

"I had spoken with Coach Bartow at that time, and he was still OK. I kind of made up my mind that I needed to do this. When I got back, I went to my AD and told him I was going to miss a game to do this. You never know, for me they may take it away."