Wittenberg women's coach Pam Smith passed away Tuesday night, June 26, after a long battle with cancer. She was 47.
"All of us in the Wittenberg community are deeply saddened to learn of Pam's death late last night," said president Mark H. Erickson. "Although Pam will be remembered as a legendary coach and professor, her impact reached far beyond the basketball court. She touched the lives of countless students, faculty, staff and alumni. She taught us about courage, commitment, humility and caring. Pam was truly an extraordinary person who embodied all that is great about Wittenberg. It is hard to imagine that she is no longer with us. She will be greatly missed."
Smith (nee Evans), a 1999 Wittenberg University Athletics Hall of Honor inductee, compiled a 401-170 record during a coaching career that spanned 21 seasons. The seven-time NCAC Coach of The Year took the reins of a struggling program prior to the 1986-87 season, along the way leading the Tigers to eight Division III NCAA Tournament appearances, twelve 20-win seasons and 11 NCAC regular season championships.
Wittenberg won just four games the year before Smith took over, and she helped the Tigers to seven victories in each of her first two seasons, followed by an 11-win season in 1988-89. That set the stage for a breakout 1989-90 campaign in which the Tigers posted a 26-3 record, including a perfect 12-0 NCAC regular season mark and a first-ever appearance in the Division III NCAA Tournament. Wittenberg, the only NCAC women's program to go undefeated in regular season play (a feat the Tigers have accomplished four times), has not had a losing season since and has not finished lower than third in the NCAC.
Smith's teams won NCAC regular season titles in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 and NCAC tournament championships in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003 and 2004. Through the end of the 2006-07 season, Smith among the top 30 active NCAA Division III coaches in the country in both total wins and winning percentage.
On Feb. 15, 2007, it was declared Pam Smith Day in Springfield, Ohio, after she became just the 21st active women's basketball coach at the NCAA Division III level to win 400 career games with a 55-39 victory over Kenyon.
Smith also enjoyed a record-breaking career as a player in the Wittenberg Red & White between 1979-82. Smith was selected second-team Academic All-America as a senior after earning team Most Valuable Player three straight years. She was the Tigers' all-time leading scorer until 1989.