Saturday, June 28, 2008

Lady Tiger hoops coach steps down

Bryan Smith wants more family time

Jason W. Brooks News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jbrooks@news-bulletin.com

Los Lunas Down by 11 points in the third quarter of a January game against Rio Rancho, the Los Lunas Lady Tiger girls basketball team, coached by Bryan Smith, improved their defensive effort and their offensive execution and came back to win the game.

It was only the third win for the Tigers in the 17 times the two schools have met in girls basketball, and Smith said he's happy he was a part of experiences like the Rio Rancho win. Group accomplishments like that are what Smith says he'll miss, as he has resigned from Los Lunas to spend more time with his young grandchildren.

"My priorities have shifted pretty far toward my family," said Smith, 46. "You have to give 100 percent to something, and for the past 12 years, for me, that's been girls basketball."

As far as what kept Smith around the game for so long, it wasn't only things like beating a Rio Rancho squad that went on to the state semifinals. It was the sense of making goals as a group and moving toward those, knowing things must be accomplished as a team.

"It's a sense of striving toward objectives, that's what I'll miss," said Smith. "It was a two-part decision. Deciding to spend more time with my grandsons was easy. Deciding to not be a basketball coach for now was a much tougher decision."

Smith led the Tigers to a 51-41 record in his three seasons at the helm. Counting the 2004-05 season, when he coached the Belen Lady Eagles, and his time coaching at Los Lunas Middle School, AAU teams and in a youth league, Smith has been involved with at least one team nearly every year since 1995.

It's a tough time to resign, Smith said, because the Tigers have the possibility of being a strong team in 2008-09. The team graduated key starters Kameo Peña and Candice Guthrie, but should return its backcourt and some other helpful players with varsity experience.

"My decision doesn't have anything to do with parents or talent, or anything except family," he said.

Smith and his wife Julie, who live in Los Lunas, have three daughters, all of whom attended LLHS. Bryan and Julie have two grandsons and another on the way, and Smith will retain his full-time position as a supervisor for the state of New Mexico's telecommunications network.

While he hasn't ruled out coaching again, he definitely wants to absorb more of the "responsibilities" of being a grandfather. He said LLHS is a great place to coach, with outstanding fans that are willing to travel, nice facilities and support for athletics from administration.

His Tiger teams weren't able to win any of their three state tournament games, but the same was true of Smith's predecessor, Ron Geyer, who also spent three seasons heading the program. Geyer, who came to Los Lunas from Alamogordo, then left LLHS in 2005 to coach the St. Michael's boys in Santa Fe, where the Horsemen have since won two Class 3A state championships.

Smith's LLHS teams went 16-8 in District 5-5A regular season games, though his successor will have his hands full. All four of the Tigers' district opponents return a large bulk of their lineups, and while Manzano and Highland don't have any major talent coming back, Eldorado does and came a few points short of a state championship.

Rio Grande beat Eldorado once, returns several key players, and should continue to improve.

Smith said he's confident the next coach, for whom Los Lunas Schools has already begun to advertise, will have a strong core of basketball players to work with. Smith worked with the players through the month of June and held open gyms sessions, and players typically focus on AAU teams away from Los Lunas or play other sports in July.

"Even with two high schools, there will still be a lot of talent around here (at LLHS)," said Smith. "I give the girls all the credit. For a lot of them, there aren't enough hours in the day for basketball. They want to be in the gym every day."

The Tigers went 11-17 last season and lost a first-round Class 5A state tournament game at Las Cruces High in March. It's AAU ball, traveling teams and other sports that have kept Tiger athletes in top condition.

"Some are better at one sport than another, or have a favorite," he said. "But I'd rather see girls out playing soccer or volleyball than sitting around watching MTV."

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