Smith joins Morrisville State College coaching staff

Submitted by Brandy Thurston, sports information director

(Sherrill, NY) Morrisville State College athletic director, Greg Carroll, recently announced the addition of Sherrill native, Joseph Smith, as head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2009.

The 2004 graduate of Hamilton College, played four years for Tom Murphy and the Continentals’, and was instrumental in leading the team to several post-season tournament appearances, including the ECAC Tournament in 2001, the UCAA semi-finals in 2002, the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round in 2003 and the NCAA Tournament in 2004. As a senior, Smith averaged 21.0 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game, starting all 27 games for Hamilton, and was named the Liberty League Player of the Year and Division III New York State Player of the Year in 2004, while garnering All-American honors.

During his time at Hamilton, the team went 66-31 overall. Smith holds the third spot in the Continentals record book for career blocks with 120, and is 14th in career scoring with 1,333 points.

Following graduation from Hamilton, Smith played professionally for the BK Amager in Copenhagen, Denmark until 2009, where the team appeared in the playoff’s four times, including a 2007 run to the semi-final round. While with the BK Amager, Smith was a four-time Danish League All-Star and also assisted in all aspects of coaching during his time in Denmark.

Smith returned to the States for a season, joining the SUNYIT coaching staff in 2005-06 as an assistant for the men’s basketball program. That same year, SUNYIT reached the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) finals for the first time in school history, earning the team a bid to the ECAC Championship Tournament.

Since 2000, Smith has given private basketball lessons to the local community, lecturing at area high schools and camps on playing excellence, assisting to develop local talent to continue their playing career to the collegiate level.

Smith had a stellar playing stint for Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School, under local legend Al Knapp, where he was a three-time All-State and Section III All-Star, leading the Red Devils to a sectional championship title in 1999.

Smith takes over for Brian Murphy who served at the helm of the program for the past five seasons.

Morrisville State is set to begin pre-season practice on Thursday, October 15.

Smith joins Morrisville State College coaching staff

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