Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
TOUGH BUSINESS — Sports are a business.
And while difficult decisions have to be made, it's not always known how those decisions can impact a family.
When your favorite NFL player is traded, everyone naturally thinks of the player and their new landing spot. But few think about the real world implications it has on the family. Kids are often uprooted from their homes, where they've developed friends and such.
These players and coaches aren't just playing for your favorite team, their family is often now a part of the community.
It's the nature of the business, and the high-dollar compensation definitely eases some of that pain, but it still hurts.
Such was the case this week for former Utah basketball coach Craig Smith, who found out Monday that the university had chosen to go in a different direction with four games left in the regular season.
Easier said than done for family.
His oldest son, Landon, is the team's director of operations, and his middle son, Brady, is currently a walk-on player for the Utes. His youngest son, Carson, recently graduated from a local high school and plays basketball at North Dakota State. And his daughter, Lauren, currently goes to high school in Davis County.
But two days after Smith's departure from the program, his former team had a tough road game against No. 22 Arizona. And both Landon and Brady appeared as usual, ready to support the team as if nothing had happened. Business as usual.
That caught the attention of Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, who opened up his press conference Wednesday night after his team beat Utah speaking about the former head coach. He shared an emotional response to seeing Smith's children in the arena.
This is a great response by Tommy Lloyd on Craig Smith's kids showing up tonight.
— Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) February 27, 2025
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