Sonny Smith

For the San Francisco musician, see Sonny Smith (musician).

Sonny Smith

Sport(s)	Basketball
Current position
Title	Head coach
Biographical details
Born	(1936-11-15) November 15, 1936 Roan Mountain, Tennessee
Playing career
1954–1958	Milligan
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1976–1978	East Tennessee State
1978–1989	Auburn
1989–1998	VCU
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
SEC Tournament Championship (1985) CAA Championship (1996)
Awards
EC Coach of the Year (1978) SEC Coach of the Year (1984, 1988) District VI Coach of Year, Division I (1984) CAA Coach of the Year (1996)

Charles H. "Sonny" Smith (born November 15, 1936) is a retired American men's college basketball head coach. Originally from Roan Mountain, Tennessee, Smith served as a head coach for twenty-two seasons. He is credited with turning around losing programs at East Tennessee State University and Auburn University. Additionally, Smith coached Virginia Commonwealth University from 1989-1998.

Smith is best remembered for his coaching years at Auburn University, where he was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1988. In 1985, he coached the Auburn Tigers to their first SEC Tournament Championship in school history. During his years at Auburn, he coached NBA Hall of Fame player Charles Barkley and NBA star Chuck Person. From 1984 to 1988, he guided Auburn to five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 berth in 1985 and a Final Eight berth in 1986. To date, he is the only coach in Auburn men's basketball history to have three consecutive 20-win seasons, from 1984-86. On January 3, 2007, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

After retiring from coaching, Smith joined his friend and former University of Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson on a sports talk radio show "The Sonny and Wimp Show" on WJOX-AM in Birmingham, Alabama. Smith also works as an analyst calling Atlantic Sun games on Friday nights for CSS.