South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris hires former Clemson assistant Steve Smith

USC men’s basketball coach Lamont Paris announced on Tuesday the hiring of Varnville native and former Clemson assistant Steve Smith to complete his on-the-bench coaching staff for this season. The expected hire of Smith had been reported weeks ago by John Whittle of Gamecock247.

Smith worked for Brad Brownell at Clemson from 2012 to 2019. Smith was not retained by Clemson in May of 2019, following the expiration of his contract, after being recorded on a 2017 FBI wiretap discussing the recruiting of Zion Williamson as part of an FBI investigation into college basketball agents and corruption.

Smith was later hired by Leonard Hamilton at Florida State, and in the last two seasons, he was an assistant at Boston College under Earl Grant.

Release from USC

Head coach Lamont Paris completed his staff with the addition of veteran assistant coach Steve Smith, he announced on Tuesday morning. Smith brings a wealth of experience having served 13 seasons as an assistant with three different stops in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Steve’s basketball connections throughout the southeast, and especially in the state of South Carolina, are as strong as any assistant coach in the country,” said Paris. “He is incredibly experienced and will undoubtedly bring immediate value to our program in numerous ways. With Steve growing up in the state of South Carolina and his wife being a USC alum, this is a true Welcome Home.”

“I’m extremely excited to be blessed with this incredible opportunity,” said Smith. “Coach Paris is a great basketball mind whom I’ve admired from afar for many years. I can’t wait to get started with him and the rest of the staff. Forever to Thee!”

Smith served the past two seasons as an assistant for Earl Grant at Boston College (2024-26). Before his time in Chestnut Hill, he was an assistant for five seasons on Leonard Hamilton’s staff at Florida State (2019-24).

In his first season with the Seminoles in 2019-20, Smith helped guide the team to a 26-5 (16-4 ACC) record and a No. 4 final ranking in the AP Poll en route to the program’s first ACC regular season championship. He helped the Seminoles to the Sweet 16 in the 2021 NCAA Tournament on a team that was led by future NBA All-Star Scottie Barnes. Smith helped recruit a pair of top-15 classes in 2021 and 2022 to Tallahassee.

Prior to his tenure at FSU, Smith was on Brad Brownell’s staff at Clemson for seven seasons  (2012-19). He was a part of three 20-win seasons and a trio of teams that logged double-digit ACC victories. Clemson won 25 games in 2017-18 and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1997.

Smith was instrumental in the development of three of the Tigers’ top players in his tenure there in two-time All-ACC selection Jaron Blossomgame, 2014 ACC Defensive Player of the Year K.J. McDaniels, and Donte Grantham. Blossomgame was a First Team All-ACC in 2015-16 after averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He was selected 59^th overall by San Antonio in the 2017 NBA Draft. McDaniels was the 32^nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by Philadelphia after averaging 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game his junior season in 2013-14.

Prior to Clemson, Smith was an assistant at Georgia Southern (2009-12) working under Charlton Young, and USC Upstate (2005-09) for Eddie Payne, helping the program transition from NCAA Division II to Division I.

He played two seasons at Morgan State before enlisting in the Army where he served various assignments from 1994-2000. After completing his service in the Army, he enrolled at Trinity College in 2000 and earned an undergraduate degree in information systems in 2002. He served as an assistant women’s coach at Allen University in Columbia while he completed his degree.

Smith and his wife Fran have a son, Jordan, and two daughters, Tayler and Karsyn.

Originally from Varnville, S.C., he and his wife founded a non-profit organization called Steve Smith’s Shooting Stars in 2017 to inspire, educate and support underserved youth of Hampton County and the surrounding areas. The organization supports school-aged children with events designed to give back, while stressing the importance of education and providing the tools for success during the school year.