James Island names Travis Smith as new head basketball coach

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - James Island has named longtime Porter-Gaud assistant coach Travis Smith as the Trojans new head basketball coach on Thursday.

Smith, who played at Porter-Gaud and would go on to play at Mercer, replaces James Island alum Brady Schuck who left to take an assistant coaching job at Flagler College.

In addition to his work at Porter-Gaud, Smith has served as the co-founder of the 20/20 Youth Basketball Organization in the Lowcountry and worked with the TMP Summer travel Basketball team.

In his time coaching with the Cyclones, Smith helped lead the program to three state championships. He also helped train several Division 1 players including Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt and now with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers), Yale’s Jake Langford and Tennessee’s Josiah Jordan-James.

James Island is coming off an 18-7 season that included a perfect 10-0 record in region play before being upset in the first round of the 4-A playoffs.