March 31, 2022
High Point Academy (HPA) is pleased to announce the selection of veteran coach Jacob Smith as Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach for the 2022-2023 season. Coach Smith brings more than 20 years of experience as a coach and educator to HPA, currently serving as the head coach for varsity boys’ basketball at Hunter Kinard Tyler High School in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
With an overall record of 242 wins and 184 losses, Coach Smith led Cheraw High School to a region championship in Cheraw, South Carolina in 2016. He also led multiple winning seasons as head coach at Colleton County High in Walterboro and Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston.
The father of three says he was drawn to High Point Academy not only for the opportunity to coach but also for the educational opportunities for his children. “Education is important to me. Leadership and character are important to me. When you ask families why they choose High Point Academy, you repeatedly hear the same thing. ‘We are a family here.’ My family and I are thrilled about joining the HPA family and continuing the tradition of excellence on and off the court.”
Superintendent Brian Sherman says Coach Smith is the right fit. “High Point Academy brought home a Boys’ Varsity Basketball 1A State Championship in 2019 and has established a winning tradition. Our goal is to seize that momentum and build a program that will be a model for other schools to follow. Coach Smith will develop student-athletes that will be community-minded with an emphasis on character and service,” says Sherman.
Smith holds master’s degrees in mathematics (Walden University) and education (Drexel University) and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from South Carolina State University. He is currently pursuing a degree in administration. In addition to his coaching duties, Smith will teach middle school mathematics.
Coach Smith and his wife Nakia have three children, Jacob Jr., Jordan, and Serenity, who will attend High Point Academy in the fall.