Mizzou men’s basketball assistant Kyle Smithpeters elevated to associate head coach
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mizzou men's basketball coach Dennis Gates has his new right-hand man, two months and some change after former associate head coach Charlton 'C.Y.' Young left the program. On Tuesday, Mizzou Athletics announced that assistant coach Kyle Smithpeters is being promoted to associate head coach.
"Kyle has played a pivotal role as we've restored Missouri basketball nationally and placed it among the top of the SEC," Gates said in a press release. "During the last three seasons, his efforts in recruiting and development of student-athletes is one of the key reasons for our success at Mizzou. He has been tremendous at building relationships and locking down top targets before helping them reach their full potential on the court, in the classroom and in the community. He has exceeded all of my expectations and this promotion is well earned as we continue to chase championships."
Smithpeters has been with Coach Gates since the start at Mizzou, as he is set to enter his fourth season on the sidelines. He played a role in the turnaround of Tiger hoops, including a pair of runs to the NCAA Tournament and eclipsing the 20-win mark twice. Last season, MU cemented itself as one of the top turnaround programs in the nation, with three wins over schools ranked in the Top-5 and a Top-10 seeding in the NCAA Tournament.
He first joined Gates on the Mizzou sidelines after finding quite a bit of success as the head coach at John A. Logan Community College. In his first season in Columbia, Smithpeters and Coach Gates lifted the Tigers to their most wins in 11 seasons, the program's first-ever SEC Tournament Semifinal run and the program's first NCAA Tournament win in 13 years.
However, finding that success on the court is nothing new for Smithpeters. In 10 years with John A. Logan, he complied a 241-73 record and was an eight-time Great Rivers Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, while mentoring two NJCAA National Players of the Year and 10 All-Americans during his tenure.
"I've enjoyed every aspect of my first three seasons with Missouri basketball and I couldn't be more thrilled in my new role as associate head coach," Smithpeters said in a press release. "I'm truly excited about the future as there is so much more that we can accomplish. I'm honored to work with so many great basketball minds on a daily basis. To learn from Coach Gates – from x's and o's to game management – has been very fulfilling and I'm looking forward to continuing to build off that as we elevate the Mizzou program even further."
In addition to helping Mizzou find success on the court, Smithpeters also played a crucial role in locking down the country's fifth-ranked recruiting class in 2023. He's been successful at developing that talent, as well.
Over the past few years, Tiger basketball has sent five players to the NBA. Following the 2022-23 season, former Mizzou star Kobe Brown was drafted in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers, while his former teammate D'Moi Hodge became the first player from the British Virgin Island to play in the league, with the Lakers. After that, the Mizzou to NBA pipeline hasn't slowed down. Smithpeters and the Mizzou coaching staff has also sent former guards Sean East II, Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill to the next level.
The Southern Illinois graduate has also made stops at Southeastern Illinois and Missouri State during his coaching career.
