In 2016, Britt Smith completed his 13th and final season as the Head Coach at Howard College and his 10th year as the Director of Athletics. He served as Howard’s Head Baseball Coach and Athletic Director until July 1, 2016, at which time he decided to enter the private sector joining Perfect Game, a baseball scouting company, as the South Regional Director. In the time since, he has coordinated tournaments and showcases in the state of Texas, as well as, provide draft coverage for Perfect Game from the NCAA Division I level, down to high schools across the country. Most recently, he worked in 2018 in conjunction with Major League Baseball on a pace of play initiative, experimenting with ways to speed up the pace of the game at the Major League level with MLB’s Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California. 

As the Director of Athletics at Howard, Smith was blessed to see each of the five sports on campus either win a National Championship or advance to the National Tournament during his tenure. 

Smith ended his coaching career at Howard with a school record 552 wins in 13 seasons, 5 WJCAC Championships and 1 National Championship. Howard produced 8 players that have reached the Major League level during Smith’s tenure. 

In 2015, the Howard Baseball program reached a number 3 national ranking which ended a streak of 8 consecutive years of reaching the number 1 position in the polls. The Hawks managed to finish the season at 43-14 and extended the longest consecutive post season streak in Region V that is currently intact as of the 2018 season. The 2015 Howard Hawks captured the WJCAC Conference Championship for the 5th time in Smith’s final 7 seasons with a 28-8 conference mark. In 2012, Howard became the first school in WJCAC history to win the conference title four years in a row with an impressive 112 wins and 16 loss record in conference play during that span. Coach Smith picked up a milestone win on April 6, 2015, against Midland College with a 20-12 victory, he achieved 500 coaching wins, all coming during his tenure at Howard. In his 13 seasons at the helm of the Howard program, the Hawks produced eighteen NJCAA All-Americans: Current Howard Head Coach Roberto Martinez (2004), Darby Brown (2005), Tyler Ladendorf (2008), Travis Sample (2008), Matt Curry (2008), Will Calhoun (2009), Zach Neal (2009), Miles Hamblin (2009), Joe Leftridge (2010), Burch Smith (2010) Tyler Collins (2011), Landon Steinhagen (2011), Logan Ehlers (2012), Jordan Allen (2012), Elliot Richoux (2012), Brandon Wagner (2015), Ryan McCarvel (2015), and Kenny Roder (2015). In addition, the Hawks produced the American Baseball Coaches Association National Player of the Year twice in Smith’s tenure, coming in back to back seasons with Tyler Collins (2011) and Jordan Allen (2012). Howard was also well represented with thirty-two players earning All-Southwest District, forty-seven players earning All-Region V, and ninty-two players named WJCAC All-Conference. 

A Howard player won the Rawlings Southwest District Hitter of the Year Award in six of Smith’s 13 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 (60th overall) 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. Tyler Collins won the award in 2011 after posting a .488 average, leading the nation with 19 homeruns, clubbing a school record 34 doubles and driving in 82 runs. Jordan Allen followed that with a nation’s best .519 average, 24 doubles, 9 homeruns and led the country with 73 runs batted in. Howard had the WJCAC Homerun leader in eight of Smith’s thirteen seasons at the helm of the Hawks. The program produced the Conference Most Valuable Player in 7 of those campaigns with Brandon Wagner earning the award in 2015. Jordan Allen was recognized in 2012, Tyler Collins earned the award in 2011 joining Joe Leftridge (2010), Monk Kreder (2009), Tyler Ladendorf (2008) and Darby Brown (2005). Southpaw Kenny Roder was named Most Valuable Pitcher of the WJCAC in 2015 which was the sixth such award for the Hawks. Austin Solecitto (2014), Logan Ehlers (2012), Michael Franco (2011), Burch Smith (2010) and Zach Neal (2009) are the other Hawk pitchers to win the award. Rawlings recognized five Hawks in Smith’s tenure with the prestigious Gold Glove Award. Catcher, Miles Hamblin and center fielder Runey Davis were members of the Rawlings Gold Glove Team in 2009, center fielder Joe Leftridge was selected in 2010 and left fielders Tyler Collins and Jordan Allen were awarded in 2011 and 2012 respectively. In 2009, Runey Davis was selected by Easton as the National Defensive Player of the Year for his outstanding efforts in the field. Offensively, Howard ranked in the top 5 in the nation in nine of Smith’s 13 years and the 2008, 2009 and 2011 squads won National Team Batting Titles. Howard College Baseball finished a five-year run with 247 wins against 45 defeats and posted two impressive winning streaks in that span. The 2009 National Championship team won a record 57 straight games to open the season and the Hawks also put together a stretch of 53 consecutive conference wins between 2008 and 2010. 

The Hawks gained national recognition with a 63-1 record in 2009. Howard claimed the NJCAA National Championship which was the second national title for the school. The Howard Baseball Program received national attention in 2009, as they completed the regular season with a 54-0 record. 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 (OK) set in 1987. This became 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 by the American Baseball Coaches Association. The Western Junior College Athletic Conference has selected Smith as the Coach of the Year on five occasions from 2009 through 2012 and again in 2015. Coach Smith served as an officer in the Texas-New Mexico Junior College Coaches Association from 2005 through 2010, including a two-year term as president in 2009-2010. Smith served as the Baseball Chair for the WJCAC and as a representative of NJCAA Region V for his final seven years at Howard. 

The Howard program had an interest in community service as well under the guidance of Coach Smith. The Hawks made countless 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 raised money for Relay for Life. Abusaab donated for each homerun the Hawks tallied over the last 11 seasons and together a total of $7,205 was raised in their efforts. Howard College was also involved with the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. The Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game at Jack Barber Field, sponsored by D-Bat, Bear Claw Knives, Burns Graphics and many others, was used in an effort to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The Hawks helped raise $4,622 in an effort to battle breast cancer and raise awareness for the cause. Howard started an annual event in 2011 honoring those who have served our country with a Military Appreciation Day. Saturday, April 23, 2011 against conference rival New Mexico Junior College, was the inaugural game and the Hawks were honored to have veterans Bob Underwood, T.C. Stockwell, and Bobby Brasel throw out first pitches for the game. In 2012, the Hawks looked internally to recognize students at Howard College that served their country proudly and honored Student Government Association Vice-President and Howard College Diplomat Michael Martinez and Frank Garza for their service in the armed forces. 

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, 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, he became the Hawks’ Head Coach in August of 2003. 

Smith played for Fort Worth Arlington Heights High School under Head Coach Tommy Elliot. Smith finished his collegiate 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 currently resides in Bullard, Texas and has three children, Bailey Nicole (15), Logan Joseph (13) and Berkley Elizabeth (7).