By Tommy Howard

thoward@gtowntimes.com

Jacob Smith, a 1996 graduate of Andrews High School, is the new head boys basketball coach at North Charleston High School. He will also teach at Burns Elementary School.

Smith was head boys basketball coach and a teacher at Swansea High School. He taught 6th grade math at Sandhills Intermediate School, both since 2007.

A native of Andrews, Smith and his wife Nakia (who's from Charleston) wanted to get closer to their home towns.

Smith earned a Bachelor's degree in psychology from South Carolina State University, and Master's degrees from Drexel and Walden universities.

Over the past nine years, Smith has coached basketball at Branchville and Swansea.

Starting in 2001, he was assistant coach and head JV boy's basketball coach at Branchville. In 2004 he became head coach at Branchville.

He led Branchville to three playoff appearances and the team's first region championship in 20 years in 2006.

His final year at Branchville, Smith had an overall record of 20-7 and the team made it to the semi-finals in the Lower State championship.

He was named region 6-A coach of the year, Times and Democrat 2nd team coach of the year, and 6th district officials recognized him for outstanding coaching.

Smith was selected as a positive male influence by Orangeburg School District 4 in 2006.

When he went to Swansea in 2007 he led the team to a 15-10 record and they made it to the playoffs.

In 2008 Swansea again had a 15-10 record (6-4 region) and made runner-up for region 5-3A. The team advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

That was the first time since 1993 the Swansea boys basketball program made it that far in playoffs.

For the past basketball season, the young Swansea team had a 12-12 record.

Overall, Smith's coaching record is 90-63 in his six years as a varsity head coach.

Smith and his wife Nakia have two sons, Jacob Jr. and Jordan Smith.

He is the son of Charles W. Smith Sr. and Tammy Graham Smith of Andrews. His brothers are Sherwood Smith and Ryan Graham.