It has been almost a year and a half since Bev Smith’s coaching debut with the Oregon women’s basketball team, and it has been a coaching culture shock for the veteran the whole way.
From all her international expertise, Smith has encountered a much different experience in her time at Oregon.
“It’s been everything and even a little bit more; there’s been some really interesting things that have happened, and I’ve enjoyed it,” Smith said. “It’s been a challenge, and I enjoy challenges.
“With the team and the coaching staff we have, it’s been something that has certainly been a significant thing in my life.”
Smith faced her first challenge right away, accepting the position after the turmoil and controversy that surrounded former head coach Jody Runge.
The Ducks’ first season with Smith proved she was for real. That season, Oregon won the Women’s National Invitation Tournament Championship and netted 22 wins.
Smith became just the third first-year Pac-10 coach to achieve the 20-win landmark — the first in more than nine years.

The next challenge was choosing a recruiting class that would lead Oregon back to the NCAA Tournament. Smith, a Canadian native, added two Canadians, who brought both size and dominance in the post.
“She’s done a really good job of not only making the transition for herself by coaching, but helping the players make transitions, too,” freshman Carolyn Ganes said.
The recruiting class of Ganes and Yadili Okwumabua has been setting solid examples of what Smith wants Oregon women’s basketball to represent.
Despite the pre-season expectations and hype, this season has provided enough adversity to be worthy of a Golden Globe nomination for best drama.
Every team has ups and downs, but the rollercoaster ride for Oregon has not ceased. And for Smith, the journey has been draining.
“When you are dealing with adversity, there is a lot of emotion and a lot of energy that you give, and you don’t realize that you are giving it,” Smith said. “It does drain you of energy, and I think you’re not really conscious of that.”
In her second season coaching at Oregon, Smith dealt with more than some do in five years.
The suspension of senior Shaquala Williams is one of the most controversial issues Smith faced. It still remains a mystery and a topic Smith was not willing to elaborate on.
“I don’t really have anything to add to what has already been said. What I said when the situation came up is what I stand by.”
A grocery list of injuries and the loss of sophomore Amy Parrish are among Smith’s struggles. With blow after blow from every angle, the team kept rebounding but was still shaken.
“When you get rocked a little bit at the beginning of the year, it kind of shakes your foundation,” Smith said.
Oregon has put its horrific past behind it. The Ducks will now try to turn the corner toward the end of this season and continue the streak of consecutive postseason tournament appearances.
Oregon has to look to the 2003-04 season and wonder if it will be a repeat. But Smith sees her team’s immediate future as being bright, with three new recruits coming to Oregon for next year.
“She wants to have a smart team that can really know the game instead of having to run set play after set play, but build complete plays and understand the game,” Ganes said.
Through her time here, Smith has become part of a program that is full of surprises. Even with her extended résumé of experience, some things can never be prepared for. Her coaching has proved that the coaching staff and team can weather any storm.
“You can’t foresee adversity, you can’t predict what’s going to happen — you just have to deal with it,” Smith said. “We just have to absolutely get better, there is no doubt about it.”
Smith’s coaching career has just begun at Oregon. The halls of The Pit had her name engraved long before she decided to coach.
Now she is on the path to leave her imprint once again, but this time in a suit, as her uniform days have already placed her in the Oregon Hall of Fame.