There will be a new, yet familiar face leading the boys basketball program for the 2024-2025 school year. Nate Smith, who has been part of the Bear Basketball program for the past two years as an assistant, was recently named head coach for the Bears.
Before his time at LCM, Smith worked for Vidor ISD for 12 years. During that time, he was an assistant basketball coach for six years and a head coach for six years.
“I learned so much during those 12 years, but the biggest things have probably been about the commitment and hard work it takes to be successful and how to reach kids with a variety of skills, backgrounds, and personalities and instill that commitment level in them,” Smith said.
In his time at LCM over the past two years, Smith has been a special education inclusion teacher, as well as the JV basketball coach and varsity assistant. He is also a varsity track assistant coach, specializing in coaching distance runners.
“My time at LCM so far has been amazing,” Smith said. “From day one, the staff at LCM made me feel like family and have welcomed my family to the LCM community. We have a great group of administrators and leaders at LCM to work for. Coach Peevey has done a great job with the athletics programs since taking over and our principals are second to none at the high school. Mr. DuBose, Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson, and Ms. LeBouef are great leaders for our school and even better people. Mrs. Hawk brings the same qualities to the high school next year.”
Looking ahead to next season, Smith said he has eight returning varsity players that all bring something to the table to contribute with a mixture of younger players that are improving quickly.
“It’s a great group of young men that are enjoyable to coach that have a lot of potential and are hungry to get to work and improve,” he said.
Something that Smith would like to focus more on is investing more in the younger players in the program, including the Little Dribblers program and the junior high/middle school players.
“We have to develop those kids earlier to continue to experience the success that this program has had in the past,” Smith said. “I also want to get the community and school community more involved in our program.”
Smith’s goal for next season is to get the team back into the playoffs after missing out this past season.
“I am also looking to grow my underclassmen and pour into those guys so that they can make an impact for us in the next couple of years,” he said.
According to Smith, he aspires to be a head coach that his players enjoy playing for and they will run through a wall for because they know he cares about them and that he has their backs.
“What’s most important to me, in this profession, is to have the student athletes that I coach learn how to be men,” Smith said. “I want them to leave high school with the tools to be a hard working adult that values the importance of honesty, integrity, and teamwork, and then go on to be good husbands, fathers, friends, and co-workers.”
Smith said the team has already gotten to work and are getting stronger and are working on their skills daily. The players have been getting in as much time on the court as possible, continuing to improve while incorporating new offensive and defensive philosophies.
“I’m just really excited to lead this program and try to continue the success that we’ve experienced in the past,” Smith said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity given to me. I thank God for tools I’ve been given to lead these young people and I’m so thankful as well to my family for their unwavering support. My wife will begin her second year at LCE this fall and my oldest daughter will start Pre-K at LCE this fall as well. We’re just excited to be a Bear family.”
