From Washington University Athletics
Former Washington University in St. Louis men's basketball coach and 1997 Sports Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Smith passed away Monday, July 21, at the age of 87.
Smith coached the men's basketball program from 1959-65, compiling an overall record of 84-59. He guided three teams to the NCAA College Division Tournament, and is the fourth winningest coach in school history. Smith's 1964-65 squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
After posting a school-best 21-6 record during his final season, Smith moved on to coach at Central Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and the UMSL Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.
Born on June 27, 1927, in Ridgway, Ill., Smith enrolled at Washington University in 1947 after serving a year and a half in the Navy during World War II. He was a three-year basketball letterwinner for the Bears, and received his bachelor's degree in physical education from Washington University in 1951. He earned a Master of Arts degree from Washington U. in 1952.
Funeral arrangements are pending and will be posted on Bearsports.wustl.edu when they become available.