Each week our Spotlight Series will focus on a coach or staff member to showcase the incredible talent we have at Ursinus. This week's subject is men's and women's tennis coach Pete Smith, who is in his 14th season with the men and his 7th with the women. A 2001 inductee into the Ursinus College Athletic Hall of Fame, Smith was a standout basketball and tennis player as an undergraduate.
What drew you to Ursinus, and what makes Ursinus unique?
I am an alum, Class of 1991. My coaching here came about through an incredibly amazing confluence of events. The fit was a natural, having attended the school and having played for the tennis team. My wife is an Ursinus graduate. I guess you could say that fate played a role in my coaching tennis at Ursinus. It was meant to be.
What's the best piece of advice, coaching or otherwise, you've ever received?
I am going to be totally honest here, and it has nothing to do with tennis or Ursinus. When I was a kid, my dad told me "Son, don't ever try drugs." I'm 12 years old, so I ask "Why not?" My dad answers, "Because....what happens if you really, really like them?" Boom. Nothing ever made more sense to me.
What is the best part about coaching at Ursinus?
Match day. Clearly. I love the kids, I love practicing, I love the program and everything about it. But when it comes down to it, nothing can replicate the magic and the energy of Match Day.
What's the most difficult thing about coaching?
Senior Day. It's a bittersweet experience. I don't consider myself an extraordinarily emotional guy, but I really struggle to keep it together on Senior Day.
What's your most memorable coaching moment at Ursinus?
I've had quite a few, but nothing can top March 30, 2013. The men were playing Dickinson, and we had never beaten Dickinson in our history (0-26). We fell behind in that match 4-1, with 4 singles matches still on the court. After winning 3 of them, I had a freshman, Tyler Arsenault, out on the 4th singles court locked in a 3-set battle. Tyler pulled out an amazing 6-4 win in the third set, and our whole team stormed the court in celebration. That win catapulted us to a great season, reaching the Centennial Conference playoffs for the first time in school history. I will never forget it.
What do you look for in a recruit?
I'm looking for the whole package. Someone who works hard on the court, hard in the classroom, and is a good personality fit for what we are trying to do here at Ursinus with the tennis programs. Building good chemistry for a team is critical - we need to be able to win in the margins, and chemistry is a big part of that.
What's the one thing you would tell a recruit considering Ursinus?
I tell them that I cannot guarantee wins and losses, I cannot guarantee where we will finish in the conference, and I cannot guarantee where you will be in the lineup. The only thing I can guarantee is that I will work every day to make the Ursinus College tennis experience a great one.
How has the pandemic changed your outlook on life and coaching?
I really want to say, in general, it has not changed my outlook on life or coaching significantly. Yes, it has been incredibly frustrating at times; we all know that. But life is full of speedbumps, some bigger than others. This is another speedbump. and it is bigger than most. But we will get through it eventually. Keep moving forward. Things will get better.
What would you do if you weren't a coach?
I actually do run my own business. I am an Agricultural Commodities Trader. I know, people hear that and say what? I sell corn, wheat, oats, soybeans and barley to end users like Perdue, Tyson and Con Agra. Things that end up in our food every day. So that is what I do when I'm not coaching.
Do you have any coaching role models?
My high school Coach, Jeff Holman. I played for Jeff and his is STILL today the boys and girls tennis coach at my alma mater, Haddonfield High School in South Jersey. Jeff has - not exaggerating here - won over 2,200 high school tennis matches between the boys and girls teams at Haddonfield. He is the winningest high school tennis coach in the country - of all time. I was incredibly blessed to have played for him, and his practices from the mid 1980s still inform the way I run my practices every day.
Do you have any hidden gifts or talents?
Not lately! Before I took this tennis coaching job and we had my daughter Olivia, I had my golf handicap down to a 5. So that is about as close as anything I would call a hidden talent.
What is something most people don't know about you, or would be surprised to learn about you?
Not really sure if it would surprise anyone, but I am a real hard rock aficionado. True to my age, I am a lover of all things 70s and 80s hard rock. My players now hear of these bands through movies and You Tube and Guitar Hero, but I am a huge fan of AC/DC, Kiss, Van Halen, Queen, Foreigner, Guns N Roses and the like. Still listen every day.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Go to concerts (pre-pandemic), root on Iowa State football and basketball (my dad was an alum), and spend time watching my daughter Olivia play sports.
What's one of your guilty pleasures?
Listening to "Yacht Rock Radio" on Siruis XM. Despite my hard rock roots, I really love a smooth ballad, I can't lie.
Previous Spotlights
Janelle Benner, Field Hockey Head Coach
Aileen Ascolese, Women's Soccer Head Coach
Joe Jamison, Wrestling Head Coach
Carl Blickle, Track & Field/Cross Country Head Coach
Sam Campo, Softball Head Coach