Bio

Larry Joe Smith enters his 5th year at the helm of The Lady Wildcats Golf Team for the 2025-2026 season. In his current four year stint, The Women's Golf Team has gone from a ranking of #117 to currently the #37th ranked team in the nation. The Lady Wildcats were winners of 5 Tournaments last year and set several school records including low round of 297 ( 72-73-75-77)   

Smith is a longtime educator and coach with 39 years of teaching and coaching experience - two years at Desoto Academy in West Helena, Ark., and 36 years at his alma mater, McKenzie High School. During his coaching career, he was an assistant football coach, head boys and girls basketball coach, head baseball coach and head softball coach. Smith was head boys and girls golf coach for 28 years, two in Arkansas and 26 at McKenzie.

Coach Smith has amassed more than 1,000 career wins as a golf coach with seven state tournament appearances with teams and multiple state tournament appearances with individuals. He has been named West Tennessee Golf Coach of the Year three times. Smith is a three-time club champion at Carroll Lake Golf Club in McKenzie.

Smith attended Bethel and was a member of the golf team under former coach Dr. Jerry Wilcoxson. He is a graduate of Murray State University and also holds a master's degree from Trevecca Nazarene University.

While Smith's degree was in education, his minor was radio and televison. He has served for many years as play-by-play and public address announcer for McKenzie football.

Smith is married to Tiffany, a Bethel graduate and fourth grade teacher in McKenzie. They have three sons, Marshall, Kendall and Collin, six grandchildren.