Longtime boys basketball coach Bruce Smith has resigned after four seasons at Southview High School.
Smith, who guided the Cougars to a 70-26 record, including a 15-9 finish last season, has been a head coach for 30 seasons at three northwest Ohio schools, compiling a 433-216 career record.
Southview athletic director Jim Huss confirmed Smith’s resignation, which was effective April 24, but declined to comment on the departure. Smith was contacted, and also declined comment.
Smith worked four seasons at Delta (1987-91), as well as 22 seasons at Whitmer (1991-2013) before his latest stint.
Having retired as a full-time teacher and Whitmer’s coach after the 2012-13 school year, Smith had worked as a substitute teacher with Sylvania Schools during his time as Cougars coach.
His 2014-15 Southview team completed a 22-0 regular season and was Ohio’s No.1 ranked team in Division I before finishing 24-1 overall with a loss to St. John’s Jesuit in a district final. The Cougars won the Northern Lakes League title at 14-0 that season.
While at Whitmer, Smith twice guided the Panthers to the state final four in D-I, losing to eventual champion Newark in a 2008 semifinal, and falling to Pickerington Central, 45-40, in the 2012 state championship game.
Smith’s 2012 state runner-up team included Nigel Hayes, who recently completed an accomplished four-year career at national power Wisconsin, Chris Wormley, who played football as a standout defensive end at Michigan and recently was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the NFL draft, and Storm Norton, a standout offensive lineman at University of Toledo who signed as a free agent with the Detroit Lions.
His 2008 Panthers team included son Ryne Smith, who later played in Big Ten basketball at Purdue, and Kevin Koger, who was a football tight end at Michigan.
Eight of Smith’s teams won league championships.
Contact Steve Junga at: sjunga@theblade.com, or 419-724-6461 or on Twitter @JungaBlade.
First Published May 6, 2017, 4:50 a.m.
