AUBURN

Sonny Smith: 5 things to know about the Auburn men's basketball broadcaster, former coach

Erik Hall
Montgomery Advertiser

Broadcasting on the radio became a pastime for Sonny Smith when he ended his coaching career in 1998.

It started with him and former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson doing "The Sonny and Wimp Show" for six years on WJOX-AM in Birmingham, Alabama. That show ended in January 2006. 

Smith said in a 2018 interview on the "Talking Tigers" podcast that he knew Sanderson back to when Smith was a Virginia Tech assistant coach and Sanderson was an Alabama assistant. "We had a good relationship," Smith said in 2018. "We're both kind of crazy."

Since 2012, Smith has been an analyst for Auburn men's basketball radio broadcasts.

Here's some basic information about Sonny Smith: 

  • Full name: Charles "Sonny" Smith
  • Age: 85 years old
  • Birthday: Nov. 15, 1936
  • Hometown: Roan Mountain, Tennessee
  • High school:Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, Tennessee
  • Colleges:  Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina; Holmes Junior College in Goodman, Mississippi; Milligan College in Elizabethton, Tennessee
  • Wife: Jan Smith
  • Wedding date: Aug. 9, 1958

Smith is a member of the Milligan College Hall of Fame (1994 inductee), Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (2007 inductee), Mississippi Community and Junior College Sports Hall of Fame (2019 inductee), and Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (2020 inductee).

Find out five more things to know about Auburn men's basketball radio broadcaster and former head coach Sonny Smith.

Sonny Smith, former NBA coach Del Harris were college teammates

Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Elden Campbell, center, listen to head coach Del Harris's instruction prior to the start of their season opener against the Phoenix Suns Friday, Nov. 1, 1996, in Inglewood, Calif.

Sonny Smith and former NBA head coach Del Harris were teammates on the Milligan College men's basketball team in Elizabethton, Tennessee. They were teammates for the 1956-57 and 1957-58 seasons with Smith leaving after the 1958 season. Smith and Harris both earned all-conference honors in 1957-58. 

Smith only played his last two years of college basketball at Milligan. Harris played at Milligan from 1955-59 and graduated in 1959 as Milligan's all-time leading scorer, according to Milligan. 

Harris and Smith would later be in each other's weddings. 

Harris went on to be head coach of the Houston Rockets from 1979-83, head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks from 1987-92, and head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers from 1994-99. 

He took the Rockets to the 1981 NBA Finals, which the Boston Celtics won in six games. Harris was also the head coach of the Lakers for the first three seasons of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal playing together in Los Angeles. 

Who did Charles Barkley play for at Auburn? Sonny Smith

Sonny Smith was the Auburn men's basketball head coach throughout Charles Barkley's tenure with the Tigers from 1981-84.

Barkley and Smith took Auburn to its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1984. The 1983-84 team finished 20-11 overall and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, though No. 11-seeded Richmond upset Auburn 72-71 in the first round. 

During his Auburn career, Barkley averaged 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocked shots, and 1.6 assists per game. He earned the 1983-84 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and 1984 SEC Tournament MVP. 

How many NCAA Tournament did Sonny Smith make at Auburn? Five

Sonny Smith guided the Auburn Tigers to the NCAA Tournament five times. It was the five consecutive tournaments from 1984-88. Auburn won the 1985 SEC Tournament for an automatic berth, but Auburn was an at-large selection the other four seasons. 

Auburn reached the 1986 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight before suffering an 84-76 loss to eventual national champion Louisville. 

Smith's Auburn team reached the 1985 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, and North Carolina ended Auburn's season 62-56 in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Auburn went out in the second round of both the 1987 and 1988 NCAA Tournaments. 

Where did Sonny Smith coach before Auburn? East Tennessee State

Sonny Smith got his coaching start as the Milligan College junior varsity coach during his senior year, according to the Elizabethon (Tennessee) Star. He then was a high school coach for 11 years, starting at Lowgap, North Carolina. 

Smith was later a college assistant coach at William & Mary (one year), Pepperdine (one year), and Virginia Tech (1971-76). He replaced future NBA coach Hubie Brown as the William & Mary assistant coach for his first college job, according to a 2018 interview Smith did with the "Talking Tigers" podcast. During Smith's stint at Virginia Tech, the Hokies won the 1973 NIT and earned a spot in the 1976 NCAA Tournament under head coach Don DeVoe.

A native of Roan Mountain, Tennessee, Smith started his college head coaching career about 25 miles from home at East Tennessee State in Johnson City, Tennessee. He coached the Buccaneers during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons, and he went a combined 30-23 during those two seasons.

He earned Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year for the 1977-78 season, when ETSU went 18-9 overall and 10-4 in the OVC to finish second in the conference. In 2020, Smith was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

Where did Sonny Smith coach after Auburn? Virginia Commonwealth

18 Jan 1997: Virginia Commonwealth Rams head coach Sonny Smith looks on during a game against the Old Dominion Monarchs at the Robbins Center in Richmond, Virginia. ODU won the game, 82-65. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport

Sonny Smith became the Virginia Commonwealth men's basketball head coach ahead of the 1989-90 season, and he coached VCU through the 1997-98 season. He went 136-127 in his nine seasons.

The 1995-96 season was the highlight as VCU went 24-9 overall and 14-2 in the Colonia Athletic Association. It won the CAA regular season and tournament titles for a spot in the 1996 NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed. Mississippi State, which reached the 1996 Final Four, beat VCU 58-51 in their NCAA Tournament first-round game. 

Smith's final season was 1997-98, and his VCU team went 9-19 and 4-12 in the CAA. 

Here's more Sonny Smith news: 

Auburn guard Bryce Brown (left) speaks to radio broadcast team Sonny Smith (center) and Rod Bramblett (right) during the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City.

Check out the Sonny Smith bio from his 1994 induction to the Millican College Hall of Fame. 

Erik Hall is the lead digital producer for sports with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.