Dec 16, 2011
By Joe Szynkowski
Ron Smith grimaced at the grumblings directed at Southern Illinois University men’s basketball coach Chris Lowery after the Salukis finished 13-19 last season and 5-13 in the Missouri Valley Conference. It was the program’s worst finish in 25 years. Disapproval of SIU’s coach filled the airwaves and bombarded message boards.
The numbers – and the criticism – seemed to be piling up on Lowery.
Smith, who as an SIU assistant recruited Lowery and coached him for four years, knew that if anyone could stay positive through adversity, it would be Lowery.
“Chris is one of my guys. You really live and die with all of them,” said Smith, who was hired in March as associate head coach for his second stint at SIU. “It’s painful to see any of them not be successful. It’s painful to hear that criticism.”
Smith, a native of Benton, helped rejuvenate the SIU program in the late 1980s and early 90s as an assistant coach under Rich Herrin. His experience turning the Salukis around is one of the main factors in SIU’s decision to bring Smith back as Lowery’s top assistant this season.
“I think when you’re athletic director, you always hear names being brought up for people you would bring in if you had the opening,” said Mario Moccia, SIU’s athletic director. “He has always been somebody that other people have talked very highly of.”
Smith boasts 34 years of coaching experience and helped the Salukis win four MVC titles and earn two NCAA tournament berths (1993-94). He coached at Northern Iowa (1998-2001) under Sam Weaver and Greg McDermott, and followed McDermott to Iowa State, where he served as director of basketball operations for four years. Smith moved to Florida in 2010 to start a business coordinating tours for collegiate all-star squads.
“He knows the culture here and what it takes to win,” Moccia said. “He is a guy who is always enthusiastic and always upbeat. He has really given a jolt and excitement to the staff and players. We’ve kind of come out of the doldrums.”
Smith recently took a breather from breaking down tape the day after SIU’s exhibition opener – a win over Illinois-Springfield – to talk with SISC about rejoining the Saluki coaching staff.
SISC: It was a nice start to the season last night, how does the tape look?
RS: There are a lot of teaching moments, a lot of things that our guys can learn from. We really enjoy this team because they bring a lot of energy each and every day. They put forth the effort and are willing to learn.
SISC: How was it for you getting back into the swing of game-time action?
RS: I was only off the sideline for about nine months and during that time I probably watched as much or more basketball than I had in previous years. You don’t have to be on the floor every day to see things and understand the game. It doesn’t really feel like I missed a beat.
SISC: How much of a role in recruiting did you play and was that an easy fit to join what Lowery and (SIU assistant) Brad Korn were trying to accomplish?
RS: We all have our own strength in different areas. Coming in here recruiting-wise, Chris and Brad had a really good base of what they were working from as far as where all of the local Midwest guys were at. I’m helping take a look down the road for the class of 2013 and 14, cross-checking them and things like that. I think a lot of good staffs work that way.
SISC: I know there is a new attitude around the program this year, and you were one of the key pieces they felt could help provide a spark. Can you describe the aura around the team coming into the season?
RS: There is a really good feeling around the team this season. We have a lot of good things going on here. We hit a little bit of a downtick the last few years compared to what fans have been used to for the past six, seven, eight years. I’ve seen the same situation happen to a lot of programs. You can’t panic. You just have to maintain your focus on the good things.
SISC: One of those good things is probably the facilities that the team, coaches and fans get to enjoy now. Can you compare them to what you remember from your first stint?
RS: It is such a great upgrade. From a fan standpoint, there are the chair seats, video board, the banners, the concourse area and the murals. There are a lot of things that make us attractive to recruits now, too, with the locker room and facilities. And the coaches get to enjoy all of that plus the office space. I’ve been fortunate enough to coach in a lot of nice places and this is second to none.
SISC: What can you tell me about playing for Rich Herrin at Benton and coaching with him at SIU?
RS: He is just such a great competitor with a great passion for the game. It really spills over to not only the players, but the coaching staff, too. He came to my home town of Benton to coach when I was six years old, so he’s really the coach I grew up knowing. He provided me with a great deal of opportunities as a player and a coach that I never would have had. I will be forever grateful to him.
SISC: What do you remember about recruiting coach Lowery?
RS: In that class we wanted a true point guard. I remember him coming in and thinking that a lot of places were going to pass on him because of his size. On his official visit, he did as much selling of himself to us as we did to him about the program. He understood how the process worked and what he needed to do.
SISC: So with your SIU past and your relationship with Chris, just how painful has it been watching him struggle the past few years?
RS: It’s like having it happen to one of your own kids. You just want to protect him from it. But one thing about Chris, he’s a tough, tough guy.
SISC: What will it take to get the Salukis back?
RS: You just have to keep working hard and have faith that there are good things around the corner. Basketball has so few pieces to the puzzle. If you change out a few pieces, things may not work out. It’s not like other sports where you have a lot more players. But that’s what makes basketball so special. If you get the right pieces, you can get better in a hurry.
Joe Szynkowski is a freelance writer for SISC. He can be reached at joeszynkowski@hotmail.com.
