Roderick Smothers was left with two vacancies at the top of the Philander Smith College athletic department when Sam Weaver resigned two months ago.
Smothers, the college's president filled one of those roles Wednesday, naming Arkansas Razorbacks all-time leading scorer Todd Day will take the helm of the men's basketball team.
Todd Day at a glance
AGE 46
HOMETOWN Memphis
FAMILY Wife, Brenda; Children, Todd Jr. and Natasha
COLLEGE CAREER Arkansas, 1988-1992
PROFESSIONAL CAREER Milwaukee Bucks (1992-1995), Boston Celtics (1995-1996), Miami Heat (1997), Scavolini Pesaro, Italy (1998), La Crosse Bobcats, CBA (1998-1999), Phoenix Suns (1999-2000), Minnesota Timberwolves (2000-2001), Arkansas RimRockers, ABA (2004-2005), APOEL, Cyprus (2005-2006), Argentino de Junin, Argentina (2006), Arkansas Aeros, ABA (2006-2007)
NOTABLE Scored 2,395 points to become Arkansas’ all-time leading scorer in 1988-1992. … Averaged 22.7 points per game, third highest at Arkansas. … Southwest Conference Player of the Year in 1991. … Eighth overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. … Has coached the past two seasons at Hamilton High School in Memphis, his alma mater. … Coached in 2009-2014 at Memphis Academy of Health and Sciences.
For the past five seasons, Weaver -- as the head men's basketball coach and athletic director -- had guided the Panthers to two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference titles and three consecutive appearances in the NAIA national tournaments. Weaver left the Little Rock school to become head boys basketball coach at Texarkana High School, leaving Smothers in need of a coach and an athletic director.
During a news conference at the health and sciences building on campus, Smothers announced Day -- the former Arkansas All-American and NBA player -- had been picked to lead the Panthers' program.
Smothers cited Day's career as a player with the Razorbacks, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves as one of the reasons he picked him to "set a new level of expectations for our athletics program."
"It's one thing to be able to coach in an inspirational way," Smothers said. "It's another thing to be able to coach from a position of reality. He's able to do that, and he brings that to our program."
Smothers chose Day from a list of five finalists, which a committee had pared down from 85 applicants.
This is Day's first college basketball head coaching job. He's spent the past two seasons at Hamilton High School in Memphis, his alma mater, and five years before that he coached at Memphis Academy of Health and Sciences.
Day, who scored 2,395 points for the Razorbacks in 1988-1992 and played in the 1990 Final Four, also has coached with Team Penny, the Memphis-based AAU team founded by former NBA All-Star Anfernee Hardaway. He said he's pleased to start his college coaching career in Arkansas and in the hometown of his wife, Brenda, a Little Rock McClellan alumna.
"The one thing I always said about this state is that they appreciated the time that I spent here, and they really appreciated me as a basketball player," he said. "Hopefully I'll do the same to earn that as a coach."
Day, 46, said he was comfortable in his hometown and not necessarily looking for another job, but he always had a desire to get into college coaching. When he saw an online job posting at Philander Smith, he placed a call to Terry Wallace, a former Razorback booster who is now Philander Smith's vice president for fiscal affairs.
"I've coached in semi-pro. I've coached in high school and junior high and AAU," Day said. "It's just another stepping stone in my career, and I felt it was time to make a change out of the high school scene."
Day said he doesn't have concerns about coaching in college for the first time. He never has recruited but said his experience on the other side of that process as a high school and AAU coach will help him transition. Day said he'll serve this summer as head coach for Team Penny, a renowned program for which Little Rock Parkview players Khalil Gardner and Javon Franklin currently play.
Day said he'll concentrate on recruiting Memphis, the area with which he has the most ties.
Philander Smith was 13-15 overall and 6-6 in the GCAC last season, but that followed three consecutive trips to the NAIA national tournament and GCAC titles in 2012 and 2013.
"I think it can go a long way," Day said. "It's just a matter of rallying the neighborhood, the city, to get in and watch these guys play and try to get more scholarship money for the kids."
Smothers said Philander Smith's scholarship allotment is "middle of the line" with its main competition, and improving that amount is part of a "long range plan for the college." Day's popularity, Smothers said, could jump-start that plan.
"One of the things that we're excited about with Todd, because of his history and background, is that there will be those that may be willing to invest in our program and invest in his leadership," Smothers said. "And, as a result, we'll be able to increase the number of scholarships and support that we provide for our young folks."
Sports on 06/16/2016