Meet the Coach
Head Coach Hank Smith
Hank Smith took over the Emerson program in 1994, at which time the team had only won 21 games in the previous five years combined. In his inaugural season at the helm, the Lions tallied a record of 17-7 and were voted “The Most Improved Team in New England”.
In 1995 Emerson joined the newly formed Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Smith's teams won conference titles in 1997-98 and 1998-99 and the Lions have participated in the GNAC tournament final game on six other occasions. He was twice voted GNAC coach of the year by his peers. Under Smith's tutelage, the Lions have earned ECAC bids in 1997-98, in 2000-2001 when the Lions reached the finals against Williams College, and in 2004-2005.
Smith began his coaching career at Framingham State as an assistant to Celtic legend Togo Palazzi. In his two-year tenure, Framingham was voted “Most Improved Team in New England” and reached the MASCAC finals for the first time in school history. He then moved on to Salem State and reached the ECAC semi-finals as an assistant under Jim Todd (who later became the head coach for the NBA’s LA Clippers).
Several of Smith’s former players have gone on to coach at the college level. Tony Wyzzard (’95), Shawn McCullion (’97), and Tommy Arria (’00) have assisted Smith, and Sam Presti (’00) is in the front office for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs as Director of Recruiting.
Three former assistants for Smith have moved on to head jobs of their own. Chris Pullem is the head men’s basketball coach at Bellarmine University, a D-II program in Louisville, KY. Juan Figuora is the head coach at O’Bryant High School in Boston and Paul “Shot Doctor” Connolly is the head coach at Newton North High School.
Smith and his wife Pamela have two children Colby and Lindsey. They reside in North Andover, MA. He is a graduate of Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH.
Assistant Coach - Shawn McCullionShawn McCullion has coached basketball every year since his graduation from Emerson in 1997 and joined the Lions' staff in 2000. McCullion was voted team co-captain his junior and senior years under the guidance of Head Coach Hank Smith. McCullion was a key part of Emerson's 1997 GNAC Championship team, scoring 21 points in the final game and capturing the coveted MVP award. Known as a three-point specialist, McCullion drained 205 three-pointers and netted 1,063 points in his three-year Emerson career (1994-1997).
Prior to re-joining the Lions as a coach, McCullion began his career in the fall of 1997 at Rivier College in Nashua, NH as an assistant coach. McCullion then ventured into the prep school ranks as an assistant coach at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, MA where he was exposed to Division I talent and coaches. An incredible 26 players from the prep powerhouse went on to play Division I basketball at schools including Memphis, Providence, Rutgers, Pepperdine, Youngstown State, Villanova, Georgia, and Ball State. He got his first taste as a head coach leading the Notre Dame Prep B team to a 40-10 record in 2000. McCullion was also head coach for the day-school program (1999-2000), leading a team of 7th-12th graders to a combined 20-15 record. From there he joined the staff at Emerson.
McCullion avidly hits the recruiting trails looking for talent in New England and beyond. He is a resident and native of Nashua, NH.
Assistant Coach: Bruce Seals
Assistant Coach - Tony Wyzzard
Additional Staff - Robert "Biz" Morris
Recruiting Information
E-mail:
henry_smith@emerson.edu
Mail:
Athletics Department
Emerson College
120 Boylston Street,
Boston, MA 02116
Phone:
617.824.8123
