Smith Joins Gardner-Webb as Assistant Coach

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- Memphis women's basketball alumna Alasia Smith will be returning to where her collegiate career began, joining the Gardner-Webb women's basketball staff as an assistant coach and director of basketball operations, the program announced on Thursday.

"I am not the only one happy to have Alasia back at Gardner-Webb. She brings winning tradition and success to the GWU basketball program and knows what it looks like and what it takes to compete in the Big South Conference," said Gardner-Webb head coach Terri Williams. "I am very grateful to have Alasia come with the Runnin' Bulldogs."

The Johnson City, Tennessee, native spent three years at Garnder-Webb under current Memphis head coach Alex Simmons, where they accumulated a 56-33 record and won the 2023 Big Sky Championship. Smith was the program's first defensive player of the year behind 3.6 steals a game, which ranked second in all of Division I in 2022-23.

Smith followed Simmons to Memphis when she became the program's 13th head coach in April 2023, and her defensive prowess translated seamlessly to the higher level. After being named to the 2023-24 AAC All-Newcomer Team, she received All-Conference Second Team honors and was a part of the conference's first All-Defense Team in 2024-25.

"It's such an honor to see Alasia chase her dreams of being a coach, and I am so proud of her to earn the opportunity to go back to where it all started for her. She was an integral part of the championship success at Gardner Webb as a player and I know she will continue that same success as a coach," Simmons said. "She has been consistent with her goals and stood strong in chasing those goals. Coach Williams has made a huge impact in the women's game and will be a great mentor for Alasia. The Gardner-Webb program will always have a supporter in me."

The first player since Gabby Williams (UConn, 2016-17) to be top five in the AAC in blocks and steals in a season, she had 1.3 blocks per game to go with 2.3 steals. She concluded her illustrious career ranked 33rd (405) in career steals at the collegiate level and 46th in career rebounds (1,336). On March 1, she became one of three players in women's college basketball history (Angel McCoughtry, Cheryl Miller) to record 1,200 rebounds and 400 steals.

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Players Mentioned

Alasia Smith

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