LaVontis Smith is returning to Ethel High School. He spent the 2020-21 school year at Ethel as an assistant boys basketball and football coach and is currently at Leake Central as head junior high football coach and an assistant for varsity football and track.
The Attala County School Board has approved his hiring for 2022-23 as Ethel head coach for boys’ basketball and boys and girls track, and as a football assistant. He will also lead drivers education classes.
“It’s a better opportunity for my family,” he said. “I have enjoyed my time at Leake Central. However, it is more beneficial for me to come back to Ethel and be part of something special.”
The previous time at Ethel was Smith’s first year as an educator and he said it was a great experience. “It’s a very organized, well-run school full of love and caring people. We accomplished a lot of good things my first year at Ethel.”
Smith grew up in Macon, Mississippi, graduated from West Oktibbeha High School, spent two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College and graduated from North Carolina Central University with a degree in behavior and social science.
In football, he was an all Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference wide receiver and kick returner on teams that won two conference championships.
As boys’ basketball coach, Smith succeeds Ethel athletic director Corey Parish who served as boys and girls coach for one year. Parish will continue as girls coach.
“My thing in basketball is that we are going to be disciplined and play great defense. Offense will come. We won’t do things to beat ourselves, and we will play as the game flows.”
In track, the goal is to compete. “To get one percent better every day.”
Smith was the receives coach at Ethel, but head coach Adam Smith is not sure what the assignment will be in the fall with a change in the offense to the Notre Dame Box.
Adam Smith currently serves as an assistant boys and girls powerlifting coach, but the school board approved a promotion to head coach for next year.
