Dave Smart has established himself as one of the most successful basketball coaches in Canadian history, and he is fresh off being inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. During his 18 seasons at Carleton, Smart built a powerhouse, winning 13 U SPORTS national championships and compiling 656 victories. His success in Canada has made him one of the most respected coaches in the country, and now he is bringing that experience to the Division I level at Pacific.

Smart and the Tigers took a huge leap from his first season to his second, going from 9-24 in 2024-25 to 18-15 last season. Pacific was one of the teams in college basketball to make one of the biggest strides over those two years, doubling its conference win total and finishing with a winning record overall. The turnaround showed what Smart is beginning to build and gave the program plenty of momentum heading into this season.

Now, Smart and Pacific enter the new season with high expectations after the dramatic improvement over the past two years. With Smart’s track record of building winning programs and the progress the Tigers made last season, Pacific has an opportunity to continue climbing in the WCC and establish itself as a consistent contender. The next step will be seeing just how far Smart can take the program in year three.

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