Coach Lamont Smith arrested

Following the conclusion of the Toreros’ best season since 2008, the University of San Diego’s men’s basketball head coach Lamont Smith was arrested Sunday morning at Oakland International Airport on three domestic violence-related charges. Smith, 42, was traveling home following his team’s win against the University of San Francisco when he was arrested. 

According to records released by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, officers were dispatched to the team’s hotel late Saturday night after reports of a domestic violence incident. The alleged victim’s relationship to Smith is unclear, though he is married with two children. The alleged victim told police she was intimately involved with Smith, and was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 

10 News San Diego reported that Smith was released on $115,000 bail, and is facing charges in San Francisco of domestic violence, assault with force likely to commit great bodily harm, and false imprisonment. USD released on Monday the following statement regarding Smith’s situation: 

“Yesterday we were informed of the arrest of Lamont Smith, head coach of the men’s basketball team. Considering the serious nature of the charges, this morning we placed Coach Smith on administrative leave until further notice. The university has initiated an investigation. 

Our values as a faith-based institution call upon us to proceed with justice and compassion. Our prayers are for all those who are impacted by this situation. 

Assistant Coach Sam Scholl has been appointed acting head coach for the entire post-season, effective immediately.”

Saturday’s regular season finale against USF marked the end of Smith’s third year as USD’s head coach. His arrest tarnishes an otherwise productive campaign for the Toreros. This season saw the Toreros go 18-12 (9-9 WCC), the program’s best in nearly 10 years. In his tenure as head coach, the program has shown signs of steady growth in the right direction, and the team’s record reflected that. This incident, however, leaves USD basketball in a precarious situation. With just a week remaining until the West Coast Conference tournament begins in Las Vegas, Smith’s future at USD, as well as the future of the basketball program, is unclear. 

Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Bill McGillis stated that the university is not taking the investigation lightly. 

“This is a very serious matter, and it was something that we needed to deal with immediately, and address in an appropriate way, and I think we’ve done that,” McGillis said. “Now it’s a matter of allowing the investigation to take its course, and then being responsive at the conclusion of that investigation.”

McGillis declined to comment on the scope of the investigation and what it might bring.

“I wouldn’t want to speculate on (the length of the investigation), or on what the outcome might be,” McGillis said. “I think investigations of this nature can be very fluid, can take twists and turns along the way, and so I just wouldn’t speculate on the length. It’ll take as long as it needs to take.”

Acting head coach Sam Scholl, who played basketball at USD with Smith during  the 1999-2000 season,  said that he briefly spoke with Smith following his arrest.

“We had one conversation with the staff and him last night,” Scholl said. “He just encouraged our coaching staff that we were prepared, that we were ready, and that again, we have some strong-willed guys that are going to be ready to perform.” 

Senior forward Cameron Neubauer stated that he and his teammates were shocked by the incident.

“I mean I think anybody who knows him and knows what the allegations were was taken aback at first, and was shocked and in disbelief,” Neubauer said. 

However, both Scholl and his players were adamant that they are ready to put the issue behind them and compete in the WCC Championship. 

“I just think it’s a situation where in the last 48 hours there’s been some real-life things that we have to handle,” Scholl said. “Now that it’s happened, we will work through it together, we’ve talked with each other and grown, and now we have a chance to move on, and go play and do what we are all here to do. I think that yeah, it was a rough situation, but we’re all gonna get through it, and we’re gonna be good from it. We’re going to come together even tighter, lock arms even harder, and go out and take advantage of a special opportunity.”

With or without Smith, USD will take on third seed Brigham Young University in the second round of the  West Coast Conference Championship on Saturday, March 3 at 1 p.m.