Trinity University Men's Basketball

Jimmy Smith has joined the Trinity staff as the Head Mens Basketball Coach and will begin his first season with the Tigers in 2020-21. Coach Smith comes to campus after serving for three years as the head coach of Millsaps (Miss.) College, where the Majors posted a mark of 17-10 with an appearance in the Southern Athletics Association championship game for the 2019-20 campaign. Smith's achievements with the Majors exampled his efforts in rebuilding the program after inheriting a squad fresh-off a 4-22 campaign in 2016-17. He spent the 2016-17 season as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I Sam Houston State (Texas) University, where he was instrumental in helping the Bearkats reach the Semifinals of the Southland Conference Tournament. Coach Smith also worked two years (2004-2006) as a graduate assistant with the Sam Houston State program. He earned his MBA from Sam Houston State in 2005. Prior to his stint at Sam Houston State, Coach Smith held the head coaching position at Texas Lutheran University for two seasons. The Bulldogs had finished last in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) in the 2013-14 season. Coach Smith took over the following year, and Texas Lutheran posted an 18-10 record, won the SCAC Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament, further proving Smith's knack for quick turnarounds. The Bulldogs racked up a 21-7 record in 2015-16 and won the SCAC trophy and earned an NCAA appearance.  Coach Smith was elected the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III South Region Co-Coach of the Year for the 2015-16 season following the successful run of the Bulldogs. He also was tabbed as the SCAC Mens Basketball Coach of the Year during each of his two seasons at Texas Lutheran. He began his head coaching career at Schreiner (Texas) University in 2012, and led the Mountaineers for two seasons. Coach Smith turned the program around from an 11-15 mark his first year, to a 15-12 record during his second season which registered the Mountaineers' first winning season since entering NCAA III competition in 1998. The Mountaineers also advanced to the SCAC Semifinals in the 2013-14 conference tournament. Coach Smith has recorded a 103-85 (.548) record as a head coach over seven seasons of competition. Before his appointment as head coach at Schreiner, Coach Smith worked for three years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas). The Crusaders posted a .800 winning percentage over three years, and made three NCAA Tournament appearances. The Cru advanced to the 2011 NCAA Round of 16 and wrapped up the regular season with a 24-1 record. Coach Smith was a four-year mens basketball letter-winner at Mary Hardin-Baylor. He was a three-time Academic All-American Southwest Conference (ASC) honoree and was named to the Verizon/College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District VI First Team his senior year.  He received UMHB Male Athlete of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year recognition, as well as ASC All-Honorable Mention kudos. Coach Smith earned a bachelors degree from Mary Hardin-Baylor in business administration in 2004.

Sterling Holmes enters his fourth season as Trinity's Assistant Mens Basketball Coach, and his fifth season overall with the Tigers. Coach Holmes served as the assistant mens basketball coach during the 2021 spring season. Coach Holmes helped lead the Tigers to a 10-2 (8-1 SCAC) record. Coach Holmes was a part of the culture change that saw the Tigers post their first winning season since 2016-17 and their first Southern Collegiate Athletics Conference Championship appearance since 2013-14.  In the 2018-19 season, Holmes served as a volunteer Men's Basketball Assistant Coach under the direction of longtime Head Coach, Pat Cunningham. Last season, the Tigers went 10-16 overall and 8-10 in conference play. The team made it to the SCAC Tournament, but were eliminated by Schreiner (TX) University in the first round. Prior to coming to campus, he served on the National Basketball Association Dallas Mavericks staff under Head Coach Rick Carlisle as a player development intern during the 2018-19 season. Coach Holmes also was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Texas Lutheran University, during the 2017-18 campaign. As a member of the Texas Lutheran mens basketball team - which won three Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championships from 2015-2017 - Coach Holmes became a decorated player. The talented guard was elected the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) 2016 Player of the Year. He also was a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Second Team All-American and was tabbed for the D-III News Honorable Mention All-America Team. In his senior season of 2016-17, Coach Holmes received NABC All-South Region Second Team accolades and was selected to play in the NABC Reeses Division III College All-Star Game. He also was named to the D3hoops.com All-South Region Second Team. Coach Holmes earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Lutheran in sport management. He hails from San Antonio and attended Antonian College Preparatory High School.