Britt Smith is entering his seventh season as the Head Coach at Howard College and his fourth year as the Director of Athletics. The Hawks are coming off a 63-1 record in 2009. Howard claimed the NJCAA National Championship which was the second national title for the school. The Hawks received national attention for another reason in 2009 as they ran the table in the regular season going 54-0. This is longest undefeated regular season in college baseball history. The winning streak extended to 57 consecutive wins surpassing the previous record of 55 by Seminole State College set in 1987. This is the longest winning streak in college baseball history at any level of play. Smith was honored with WJCAC, NJCAA Southwestern District and NJCAA National Coach of the Year Awards.

Coach Smith has compiled an overall record of 259-90 at Howard. In his six seasons at the helm of the Howard program the Hawks have produced eight NJCAA All-Americans, Roberto Martinez (2004), Darby Brown (2005), Tyler Ladendorf (2008), Travis Sample (2008), Matt Curry (2008), Will Calhoun (2009), Zach Neal (2009) and Miles Hamblin (2009). Howard has also been well represented with thirteen players earning All-Southwest District, fifteen players earning All-Region V, and thirty-seven players named WJCAC All-Conference. A Howard player has won the Rawlings Southwest District Hitter of the Year Award in four of Smith’s six seasons in Big Spring. Roberto Martinez won the award in 2004 by hitting .448, 7 HR, 17 doubles and 70 RBI. Darby Brown turned the trick in 2005 by hitting .508, 17 HR, 27 doubles and 87 RBI and Tyler Ladendorf captured the title in 2008. Ladendorf, a 2nd round pick of the Minnesota Twins, led the nation with a .542 average and hit 16 HR, 29 doubles and drove in 84 runs. Will Calhoun joined the club in 2009 finishing the regular season with a .527 average, tops in the nation, 25 doubles and 10 home runs. Calhoun also doubled on the mound as a closer posting an 8-0-3 record with a 0.33 ERA. Howard has had the WJCAC Homerun leader in each of Smith’s six seasons at the helm of the Hawks. The program has produced the Conference Most Valuable Player in 3 of those campaigns with Monk Kreder earning the award in 2009 to join Tyler Ladendorf (2008) and Darby Brown (2005). Zach Neal was named Most Valuable Pitcher of the WJCAC in 2009 which was the first such award for the Hawks during Smith’s tenure. Howard has ranked in the top 5 in the nation in each of Smith’s six years and the 2008 and 2009 squads won National Team Batting Titles. Howard College Baseball has finished a two year run with 111 wins against 11 defeats and has been ranked in the top 3 in the nation for two consecutive years in the final NJCAA Polls.

The Howard program has taken an interest in community service as well under the guidance of Coach Smith. The Hawks have made numerous trips to local elementary schools to take part in reading programs and helped with fund raising programs for these schools. With the help of local businessman Mike Abusaab the Hawks have raised money for Relay for Life. Abusaab has made a donation for each homerun the Hawks have tallied over the past six seasons and together a total of $4,170 has been raised in their efforts. Howard College has also been involved with the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. 2009 marked the 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game at Jack Barber Field. Not only did the overflow crowd experience the Hawks finishing the regular season undefeated but $3,066 was raised for the cause. D-Bat, Bear Claw Knives, Burns Graphics and many others were integral to the success of the Hawks and Susan G. Komen that day.

Smith, a native of Mobile, Alabama, served as an assistant coach from 1996 through 2003 at the Division I, Division II, NAIA, and NJCAA levels of competition. He began his coaching Career at West Texas A&M University where he served as an assistant to Coach Todd Howey from 1996-1998. While in Canyon, the Buffaloes earned national recognition by leading the NCAA Division II in team batting average (.383), doubles, RBI’s, and runs per game. After the 1998 season, Smith accepted a position as the pitching coach at Lubbock Christian University. The Chaparrals posted a 52-19 record in his only season at LCU. Smith’s pitching staff included All-American Paco Escamilla, who led the nation in strikeouts per game at 14.9. The Chaps finished ranked in the top 10 nationally and had six players move on to play professionally. Coach Smith then accepted a position at Texas Tech University where he stayed from 1999-2001. While at Tech, the Red Raiders finished 4th and 2nd in the Big XII respectively, advancing to NCAA Regional play during both campaigns, and finishing the 2001 season ranked 21st in the country. Coach Smith then moved to Howard College as an assistant and helped lead the Hawks to the NJCAA Region V Tournament berth in his first season. Upon becoming the Hawks Head Coach in 2003, Smith turned over the pitching duties to become the hitting and defensive instructor. In his six seasons as the hitting coach, the Hawks have established new school records in ten offensive categories and have finished in the top 5 in the nation in team batting average in all six campaigns.

Smith played for Fort Worth Arlington Heights High School under Head Coach Tommy Elliot. After stops at Stephen F. Austin State and Murray State, Smith finished his playing career in 1996 with a school record .396 batting average while being named an All Lone Star Conference outfielder at West Texas A&M. During his tenure in Canyon, Smith set conference and school records for hits in a game (6) and walks in a game (5).

Coach Smith graduated from West Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree of Kinesiology in 1996 and a master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Sciences in 1998. He married the former Wendy Morris of Tyler, Texas in July of 1999. The couple has two children, Bailey Nicole (6) and Logan Joseph (4).