Mike Smith’s finest moments as a fixture on the Barton College athletic scene did indeed occur during the time that Aldridge and Pace were in school, but his contributions to the men’s soccer program actually dates back to its inception in 1972.  Smith was an assistant coach under Dave Adkins before taking over the program in 1980, thus serving as a coach for a total of 15 seasons.

A native of Iron Mountain, Mich., Smith grew up in a military family and never really settled down anywhere until his sophomore year of high school when the family moved to Goldsboro.  A wrestler and baseball player at Goldsboro High School, Smith played soccer at Hargrave Military Academy, which he attended after high school prior to being drafted into the Army.

Following service that included one year in Vietnam, he completed his tour of duty in 1969 and began his pursuit of a college degree that eventually led him to Wilson.  A coaching career that began as a student, however, did not end when Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in 1975.  A licensed physical therapy assistant, he began his career in that field but remained with the Bulldogs soccer program as well.

Following Barton’s first conference championship in 1978 and its first district title in 1979, Adkins left to enter the insurance business.  Smith added four consecutive district titles, giving the Bulldogs a total of five straight District 26 Championships and five straight trips to the national playoffs.

The Bulldogs also added another conference title during this incredible stretch run, and somewhere during Smith’s first four years as head coach from 1980-83, ne and the program attained the nickname of “The Power of the East” from the state’s NCAA schools that Smith was always willing to challenge.

If the district titles didn’t back this up, consecutive wins over the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Old Dominion University at the outset of the 1984 season certainly did.  Those wins led to a No. 3 ranking in the NAIA National Poll and a 14-5 season overall, helping Smith accumulate a 71-61-9 record.

The won-loss record, however, was never Smith’s major concern.  Winning the district and advancing to the national playoffs was the first priority, followed by the conference race and a winning record.  But he would play anybody, including Duke, State and Carolina, if he thought it would make the team better down the road.

Never was this more true than in his first season, when he assumed the leadership position and a schedule that defending champions were expected to play. 

Others may have questioned his ability to run the show after AC started the season at 1-10, but Smith never did.  Unforgettable was the discussion following a severe drubbing at the hands of Coastal Carolina in which the Coastal coach talked of taking his team to the nationals and telling Smith his young team might make it back in a year or two.

One month and nine consecutive wins later, however, it was Smith who stood on top of the district.  He took AC back to the NAIA Area Playoffs, only to find Coastal Carolina hadn’t made it.  The story would be told many times in the next three years, not only when the Bulldogs needed incentive, but also when they needed to be reminded that September wins do not necessarily mean trips to the playoffs in November.

Smith’s 1983 team also did things the hard way, not only in recovering from the miserable 3-11-2 start, but also by winning the district tournament against the greatest odds.  Seeded last, the Bulldogs had to travel to and from High Point, Guilford and Elon over the course of five days.  Not only did they prevail, they allowed only one goal in three do-or-die playoff matches.

Such is the legacy of Coach Mike Smith, who ranked among the winningest coaches in the NAIA when he left following the 1986 season.  His 1981 team will probably rank as his best, having accumulated a 15-6 record that still stands as the most wins for the program in a single season.  That was also the only Barton team to ever win the conference and district titles in the same year.

Smith, a two-time district coach of the year (1980 and 1981) and conference coach of the year in 1981, is married to the former Elizabeth Jane Owen. They have two children, Michael Owen, 5, and Michelle Elizabeth, 3, and reside in Wilson.