Billy Harold Smith to be inducted into State Juco Hall of Fame

(MERIDIAN) - Meridian Community College is well known for its rich baseball tradition. One of the men who laid the foundation for that tradition, Billy Harold Smith, will be inducted into the Mississippi Junior College Sports Hall of Fame the evening of Tuesday, April 28.

The induction ceremony will be held at the Jackson Hilton beginning at 7 p.m.

Smith had the longest tenure of any coach in the history of MCC’s baseball program. He led the Eagles from 1976-1986 before retiring to embark upon a career in school administration.

“MCC is excited about Billy Harold’s induction into the Hall,” said Dr. Scott Elliott, MCC president. “There were several men – Bill May, Quitman Lockley and Terry Williams – who paved the way for the excellence that became Eagle baseball. Chief among those pioneers was Billy Harold Smith. He is richly deserving of this recognition.”

Smith, who was also a successful high school basketball coach (once winning a state championship with the Southeast Lauderdale girls’ team), had a tough challenge as the Eagle baseball helmsman. He was basically restricted to recruiting a one-county district shared with another community college (EMCC). Despite being handcuffed in recruiting, Smith produced several winning teams. His inaugural squad went 21-6, and his 1984 unit produced 28 victories. His most prolific season came in 1981 with a then school record 30 victories. Those 1981 Eagles were the school’s first to qualify for the state playoffs.

Additionally, Smith was the coach primarily responsible for the development of the annual Mississippi Junior College All-Star baseball game in 1983. He was chosen to coach the North All-Star squad in 1985.

As the Eagle diamond program continued to evolve, Smith and Williams became the driving forces behind the development of MCC’s first on-campus ballpark, something that greatly enhanced the success of the program.

“Billy Harold made some important contributions on the field of competition, despite MCC’s recruiting restrictions in that era,” Elliott said, “but I believe his greatest contribution to Eagle athletics came in the form of his life’s testimony. Besides his coaching duties, he was a very dedicated and master science teacher, and his Christian witness to his players, students, and colleagues without question proved a very positive influence in the lives of a great many.”

Elliott described Smith as “a model of personal courage.” Smith suffered a major heart attack at age 44 during his coaching years at MCC, and he also lost a son in a tragic automobile accident. Yet, Smith went on to become principal of West Lauderdale Attendance Center, where he continued to be a tremendous influence in the lives of teachers and students. Moreover, he administered a school system that developed one of the most prolific prep baseball programs in the nation – the West Lauderdale Knights under the legendary Jerry Boatner.

“Billy Harold survived multiple personal challenges, just one of which would have derailed a lesser individual,” Elliott said. “To this day, he remains one of the most respected men in his community of Collinsville and in his church (Collinsville United Methodist).”

Past MCC inductees into the State Juco Hall of Fame have been Lou Weddington Hart (golf); Jason Smith and Cliff Lee (baseball); and Coach Jim Redgate and Ronald Murray (basketball).