The new Cal Poly Men’s Basketball head coach will be John Smith, according to unconfirmed reports. Smith has been Cal State Fullerton’s associate head coach for the past six seasons.
Cal Poly Athletics will hold a press conference Thursday, March 28 at 4 p.m. inside the Performing Arts Center.
Cal Poly is expected to hire Cal State Fullerton associate coach John Smith, source told @Stadium.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 26, 2019
During Smith’s time with the Titans, the team only missed the Big West Tournament once. Last season, the No. 4 seeded Cal State Fullerton won the 2018 Big West Tournament, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Smith has been credited for his recruiting, as he helped bring in three 2017 All-Big West honorees to the Titans. Cal State Fullerton recorded a 46-68 win-loss record over the past six seasons.
Before his time at Cal State Fullerton, Smith was the head coach for Riverside City College for nine years. His 196-87 win-loss record was the Tigers’ second-highest win total in school history. Smith also lead the Tigers to winning four conference championships and the California state championship in 2009.
Cal Poly’s current head coaching vacancy comes after Callero was not retained for the 2019–2020 season on March 6, following a 6-23 season. The Mustangs were 2-14 in Big West Conference play, and missed the Big West Conference Tournament.