• Women’s Basketball Head Coach And Associate Director Of Athletics Pam Smith Passes Away
• Memorial Web Site: A Life Remembered: Pam Smith '82
• Pam Evans Smith Arena

Pam Smith established herself as one of the premier women's basketball coaches in NCAA Division III before she passed away in June 2007 (Memorial Web Site). She took over a moribund program in 1986-87 that had enjoyed little success in its history and turned it into one of the winningest programs in the country with twelve 20-win seasons between 1989 and 2007.

The seven-time North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of The Year compiled a 401-170 career record, led the Tigers to eight appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament and won 11 NCAC regular season championships. In 1999, Smith was inducted into the Wittenberg University Athletics Hall of Honor in recognition of her standout playing career, leadership in the athletic department and consistency as a winning coach.

Wittenberg won just four games the year before Smith accepted the challenge at her alma mater, and she helped the Tigers to seven victories in each of her first two seasons. In 1988-89, the team broke the school record for victories in a season with 11 and fielded a junior varsity team for the first time.

Wittenberg broke out with a great 1989-90 campaign and hasn't had a losing record since. Smith led Wittenberg to a 26-3 record in 1990, a perfect 12-0 slate in the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and a first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament. She followed that with a 24-4 mark in 1991 and a 21-7 mark in 1992, earning NCAC titles both seasons. In 1993, Wittenberg won the NCAC Tournament championship and made its second NCAA Tournament appearance, finishing with a sparkling 23-4 record. Smith was rewarded by being selected District Coach of the Year.

In 1994-95 Wittenberg turned the trick again with another perfect slate in the NCAC and was 25-3 overall with a then-league-record 24-game winning streak. In 1995-96 she led a very inexperienced team to the NCAC regular season and tournament titles. In all, Smith's teams have won regular season conference titles in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 and tournament championships in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003 and 2004. She ranks among the top 30 active NCAA Division III coaches in the country in both total wins and winning percentage.

In 2003-04, Wittenberg had its greatest season in school history. Despite the loss of seven letterwinners and four senior starters, the Tigers won their third straight NCAC regular season championship and second straight with a perfect 16-0 record (Wittenberg is the only NCAC women's program to go undefeated in regular season play - a feat the Tigers have accomplished four times). The Tigers won their first two NCAA Division III Tournament games in school history while advancing to the Sweet 16 and extended their conference-record NCAC win streak to 36 games.

Smith was named head coach at Wittenberg in 1986 after a standout career in a Tiger uniform from 1979-82. While a player at Wittenberg, Smith was selected second-team Academic All-America as a senior and the Most Valuable Player of the basketball team for three seasons. She was the Tigers' all-time leading scorer until her record was broken by one of her players, Margaret Grammas, during the 1988-89 season, though Smith still holds records for scoring average.

Smith received her bachelor's degree in biology from Wittenberg in 1982 and her master's degree in physical education with an emphasis on exercise physiology from Ithaca College in 1986. From 1982 to 1984 Smith coached at her high school alma mater, Greenhills in suburban Cincinnati. A graduate assistant coach at Ithaca College in 1984-85, Smith later coached prep basketball at West Essex High School in New Jersey.

Smith added the role of associate athletics director and senior woman administrator in 1992. She also served as an instructor in Wittenberg's department of health, fitness and sport. Smith is survived by her husband of 10 years, Roger.