AUBURN, Ala. (WJHL) – Roan Mountain native and former ETSU men’s basketball coach Sonny Smith saw his legacy cemented forever as Auburn raised a banner for the longtime Tigers coach Saturday afternoon.

The former Milligan guard was on Auburns sideline for 11 seasons, some of the most successful years in program history. Smith led the Tigers to five-straight NCAA tournaments from 1984 to 1988, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 1986. The streak of five-straight appearances are the most in program history.

His teams success led to multiple individual accolades for Smith who was named the SEC Coach of the Year two times. He was also named to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Some of the players Smith coached while at Auburn include NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and fourth overall pick Chuck Person.

Until 2020, he was the only coach in Auburn men’s basketball history to have three consecutive 20-win seasons.