Nolan Smith Leads Tennessee State to Historic Season, Embracing HBCU Culture

Nashville, TN - When Nolan Smith was offered the men's basketball coaching job at Tennessee State University, an HBCU in the heart of Music City, he felt it was the right place at the right time in his career.

"I've always wanted to be at an HBCU, knowing all the history, especially Howard and the HBCUs in North Carolina," Smith explained during his appearance on "The MEAC & More" podcast. "This was just the perfect one for me; the city, the Gentry Center, the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), it just made perfect sense for me to come here and do what I wanted to do."

Smith, a former All-American point guard and NCAA champion at Duke University, served as an assistant coach at Duke, Louisville, and Memphis before being hired by Tennessee State last summer to replace Brian "Penny" Collins. In his first season leading the Tigers, Smith has guided the team to the OVC regular season championship, set a Division I school record for wins to date (21), and earned OVC Co-Coach of the Year honors.

Tennessee State will open OVC tournament play on Friday night in the semifinals after earning the top seed. Smith was already familiar with Tennessee State's historic legacy, which made the job an even better fit for him.

"When I first walked through the halls and saw Coach John McLendon's picture, I put two and two together that he was the same guy I saw on the wall at North Carolina Central," he said. "I love the culture, I loved homecoming, I love the energy surrounding our games. It's something we're going to continue to build on to make this place even more special."

The success of Nolan Smith and the Tennessee State Tigers this season is a testament to the wealth of talent and coaching expertise that exists within the HBCU community. As a rising star in the coaching ranks, Smith's embrace of the HBCU culture and his ability to lead his team to unprecedented heights serve as an inspiration to aspiring coaches and players alike. HBCUConnect.com is proud to highlight this remarkable story and the positive impact it can have on the entire HBCU community.

Originally reported by HBCU Sports.