As reported by Jon Rothstein, Duke legend Nolan Smith is engaged in talks to become the next head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers. The Tiger’s former Coach Brian Collins stepped down as head coach to take a coaching job in the NBA, most likely with the Memphis Grizzlies in a player development role. Collins was at the helm of the Tigers from 2018 to this past June and ended his tenure there with a 98-118 record overall, but had 3 straight winning seasons in conference.
Smith, an assistant at Duke from 2016-2022, an assistant at Louisville from 2022-2025 and most recently with the Memphis Tigers, will now have his first head coaching job. Hired in February 2016, under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, Smith spent two years as a special assistant and three years as director of basketball operations & player development. In 2021, he was named a Duke assistant coach. After 4 years playing in Durham (2007-2011), Smith was drafted in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers.
While talks are progressing there has not been a formal agreement yet between Smith and Tennessee State, according to Rothstein, “the two sides are working towards an agreement.”
Tennessee State competes in the NCAA Division I’s Ohio Valley Conference.