Coaches

Dr. Bruce Smith

Year Inducted: 1991

Category: Coaches

Schools / Organizations:
College of Lake County

Biography: Dr. Bruce Smith served as head basketball coach at the College of Lake County beginning in 1969. During that time Smith’s teams registered more than 300 victories. Smith has been recognized by his peers as Coach of the Year four times, produced All-American players and coached the undefeated Skyway Conference champions in 1985-86. This was accomplished in a league requiring in-district only recruiting and total absence of scholarship grants. Seven times Smith produced state junior college finalists and served as state basketball chairman. Smith once received a plaque which read “Bruce Smith, Basketball Coach and Christian Gentleman.” In both his personal and professional life, Bruce Smith set the kind of examples which are of basic importance to the young men he leads. Even if you take away Smith’s 20 years of coaching and all of his basketball wins or his involvement in state and national basketball affairs, you still have the most important ingredients of this man – honesty, integrity, people caring, sensitivity and a positive example.  Dr. Bruce Smith died on April 18, 2003 at the age of 74.