He graduated in 1939 and later became a football, basketball, baseball, tennis and cross country coach at Campbell University.
Under Smith's guidance, Campbell won three straight North Carolina Junior College football championships (1946–48).
He also led the 1948–49 and 1951–52 basketball teams to an overall record of 29–20 including the junior college national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
In 1959 Smith returned to ECU to become head coach of the Pirates basketball team.
In 1963, after finishing his basketball coaching career, Smith turned to the ECU baseball team.