ABF Learning Academy announced the signing of South Florida native and long-time coach Andre Smith to the position of Head Coach and Director of Basketball Operations. Smith scored more than 1,100 points during his career at Miami Palmetto Senior High. He went on to attend UNC-Asheville, where he finished his career as the 6th all-time leading scorer and 2nd all-time in steals all while leading UNC-Asheville to their first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in 2003.
Andre Smith began his professional playing career in the NBA D-League before moving on to play for nearly a decade in professional leagues across Lithuania, Mexico, Argentina, and Iran. He captained the Jamaican National Team from 2006 to 2011, and was recently inducted into the UNC-Asheville Hall of Fame in 2013. Smith made the transition to coaching soon after establishing ASAP Basketball, a training service for basketball youth of all ages. Since then, he has coached for various programs across South Florida with his most recent position being that of Head Coach for Palmer Trinity School’s Varsity Basketball program.
Coach Smith has been placed in charge of a basketball program that aims to revolutionize high-school sports for the modern age. ABF Academy’s new sports program provides an academic and athletic experience that fully immerses student-athletes in their craft, and Smith has been placed at the forefront of advancing their basketball program. “I’ve witnessed Coach Smith’s ability to train and coach basketball at a high level,” said Manny Riera, ABF Chief Academic Officer, “We’re excited to see him bring that expertise to our organization and build a strong basketball program going forward.”