Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Stephen A. Smith accepted a Winston-Salem State University scholarship to play basketball under legendary Head Coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines. Smith's collegiate athletic career was cut short due to injury, but his passion for WSSU continued. In 1991, he graduated from Winston-Salem State and began his journalism profession as a clerk/writer at the Winston-Salem Journal. Advancing his career through positions at the Greensboro News & Record, New York Daily News, and the Philadelphia Inquirer, Smith has earned a reputation as one of the most successful journalist/commentators of the modern era and has credited Coach Gaines and Winston-Salem State for the foundation of his growth. In 2011, Smith returned to his alma mater to deliver the university's commencement address and again in 2016 to speak at a fundraising breakfast to raise money for men's basketball scholarships. He not only dedicated his time and praise to WSSU, but made a personal donation to both athletics and the Mass Communications Department. Today Smith is Co-Host on ESPN's First Take, an NBA analyst on SPORTSCENTER, and is the host of the Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM's MadDog Sports Radio.