James "Scooggy" Smith

https://sites.google.com/site/coatesvillehalloffame/page-1/2006

Coach Smith is good and what he does. For 28 years, from 1975 to 2003 he has coached a basketball team at the high school level. His long and illustrious career includes any milestones.

James "Scooggy" graduated from Coatesville high school in 1964. He attended Maryland state college, now the University of Maryland, Eastern shore, and in 1968 earned a BS degree in health, physical education and recreation.

After college, "Scooggy" became an educator and from 1975 to 1982 he coached the freshman, junior varsity and varsity basketball teams at Devon Preparatory School.

In 1982, He returned this high school, alma mater to coach the Coatesville High girls’ varsity basketball team.

Scooggy assisted Coach Jerry Quedenfeld with the Coatesville High boys’ team from 1985 to 1993. As interim head coach for the 1989 – 1990 season, he led the team to a Ches-Mont championship with an 18 – 8 record. Scooggy also assisted under head coach Ross Kershey from 1993 to 1995.

Scooggy’s head-coaching career took off in 1995. He led his squad to eight consecutive Ches-Mont championships, two district 1 championships, 2000 and 2001, and one Eastern championship, 2001. The crowning achievement came in 2001 when Scooggy’s team won the PIAA Quad A state championship. The State championship team was ranked 13th in the nation by USA Today sports!

Scooggy was coach and mentor several outstanding players, two All-Americans, Richard “Rip” Hamilton now a guard for the Detroit Pistons and John “Tootie” Allen now playing professionally in Finland along with Mark Sweet. Jake Royal, currently touring with the Washington Generals versus the Harlem Globetrotters show and Darrell Lewis who is now playing professional basketball in Italy was also under Scooggy’s guidance as student players.

Coach Scooggy, with an overall record 294 – 148, was named Coach of the year 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003 by The Daily Local News! When Scooggy retired from coaching his quest for learning motivated him to earn his MS degree in education from the Neumann College in 2005. He presently heads the wellness and fitness department at the Coatesville Area High School, where he has taught for 16 years. The class of 1993 dedicated their yearbook to "Scoogy." In their words "He has been there for it all, cheering us, supporting us, leadig us to victory. Whether as coach, teacher or friend, he has instilled in us the long-standing values which signify Coatesville."

Scooggy and his wife, Louise, live in the Coatesville area.

*** Coach Smith came out of retirement after Coach Nelms took a leave of absence for the 2011-12 season. Scooggie not only filled in as coach, but earned his 300th win as a coach and took the Red Raiders to the State playoffs for the first time since 2003. Coach Smith was named the 2012 Daily Local News "Coach of the Year" for his efforts.