Biography.guide
Home β€Ί People β€Ί Basketball coach β€Ί Keith Smart
Portrait of Keith Smart

Keith Smart

b. 1964

American basketball player and coach

Don't just read it β€” keep itBiographies to ownE-book Β· Audio Β· Video From $7 β†’

About Keith Smart

Born 1964. Keith Smart is an American basketball coach and basketball player.

Jonathan Keith Smart (born September 21, 1964) is an American former basketball coach and player.

Playing career He is perhaps best remembered for hitting the game-winning shot in the 1987 NCAA championship game that gave the Indiana Hoosiers a 74–73 victory over the Syracuse Orangemen. He had transferred to Indiana from Garden City Community College in Kansas where he was a two-year standout and Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year. After the PBA, he played in the World Basketball League: first with the Worcester Counts in 1989. He then played for the Youngstown Pride and was traded to the Halifax Windjammers in March 1991. Smart later played in the Continental Basketball Association with the Rapid City Thrillers (1995–96) and Fort Wayne Fury (1996–97). He also played two seasons in France and one in Venezuela.

Coaching career

In 2002, Smart finished the season as interim coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. His record was 9–31 with the club. In 2003, he became an assistant with the Golden State Warriors.

In 2010, Smart took over for Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson before the start of the 2010–11 training camp.

The Warriors fired Smart on April 27, 2011, following a 36-win season, a 10-game improvement from the previous season. He joined the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach in November 2011. On January 5, 2012, the Kings named Smart head coach after firing Paul Westphal. He recorded a 48–93 record over parts of two seasons with the team. On May 31, 2013, the Kings fired Smart with one year remaining on his contract. On September 17, 2014, the Miami Heat announced they had hired Smart as an assistant coach.

On December 6, 2019, Smart was fired by the New York Knicks.

On May 12, 2021, Smart was announced as Assistant Coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks under Head Coach Eric Musselman. On January 15, 2022, Smart served one game as the Arkansas interim coach while Musselman was out with shoulder surgery. Smart led the unranked Razorbacks to a thrilling 65–58 victory over No. 12 LSU in Baton Rouge.

On January 13, 2025, Smart was announced as the head coach for Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah.

Personal life Smart and his wife Carol have two children. His son Jared is currently a wide receiver for the University of Hawaii.

Head coaching record

Biography shop

Don’t just read it β€”
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop β€” from $7

Instant download Β· yours to keep Β· every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
McKinley Senior High School, Indiana University Bloomington, Garden City Community College
Awards
List of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Champions; NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player; World Basketball League
Also known as
Jonathan Keith Smart

People in Keith Smart's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Keith Smart's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Keith Smart?

American basketball player and coach

When was Keith Smart born?

Keith Smart was born on 21 September 1964 in Baton Rouge.

What is Keith Smart's occupation?

Keith Smart is a basketball coach and basketball player.

What nationality is Keith Smart?

Keith Smart is American.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: Keith Smart

Β· Wikidata: Q2734309

Β· DBpedia: Keith Smart

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Keith Smart. https://biography.guide/keith-smart/

MLA: "Keith Smart." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/keith-smart/.

Chicago: "Keith Smart." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/keith-smart/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons Β· author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:06 UTC