Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (AP) — Jim Smith has decided to retire after 51 seasons as men's basketball coach at St. John's University in Minnesota.
Smith, 80, announced his retirement to his players on Tuesday afternoon, according to the St. Cloud Times. He finishes with a record of 786-556 at the Division III school.
Smith played at Marquette in the 1950s, and became the St. John's coach before the 1964-65 season. Under him, St. John's made 17 postseason tournament appearances, most recently in 2007.
Although Smith said health wasn't a primary factor in his retirement, he is scheduled to have hip replacement surgery at the end of March. He was also diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003 and fractured his femur in 2009.
Smith had two stints as St. John's athletic director and also coached golf, cross country and track at various times.
St. John's has started the search for Smith's successor, with hopes to find a new coach in a month.
___
Information from: St. Cloud Times, http://www.sctimes.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
