SAN FRANCISCO – Second-year head coach Kyle Smith is off to an impressive start at the helm of the University of San Francisco men's basketball team.  The Dons' 80-67 win over Pepperdine on Saturday was Smith's 50^th as head coach.  USF is now 30-20 under Smith, which is the fourth-best record in program history through 50 games.
 
Smith's 50 wins are an accumulation of the Dons 10-7 mark in the 2017-18 campaign, and the 20-13 finish last season.  Smith's start ties him with former Dons head coach James Needles who coached the Dons from 1923-31 and again in 1941-43.
 
The top mark goes to Pete Barry who guided the Dons to a 41-9 record through the first 50 games, followed by a tie at second with Bob Gaillard who went 39-12 (in his first two full seasons) and Dan Belluomini who both went 39-12. 
 
Smith and Needles are ahead of Naismith Hall of Fame members Phil Woolpert (20-30) and Pete Newell (25-25).
 
Here is a look back at some of the great wins under Smith:
 

• Nov. 11, 2016 vs Illinois-Chicago:  Dons come away with the 82-80 win when Remu Raitanen hits both ends of a 1-and-1 with 23.4 seconds to give the Dons their first win under Coach Smith.
• Dec. 22, 2016 vs. Utah at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamondhead Classic: "The first signature win under Coach Smith…" The Dons come away with an 89-86 win over Utah, the programs first win over a Pac-12 team since USF defeated Colorado 83-81 on Nov. 20, 2010.
• Dec. 29, 2016 vs. San Diego: Dons get their first West Coast Conference win under coach Smith with a convincing 80-74 victory over the Toreros.  Then freshman Charles Minlend scored a team-high 20 points in the game.
• Feb. 25, 2017 at Pepperdine: Dons secure a winning conference record under Smith with a 76-65 win over the Waves.
• Dec. 7, 2017 vs. Eastern Washington: The 25^th victory at USF for coach Smith, the Dons cruised to an 81-71 win.
• Dec. 15, 2017 vs. UC Davis: Dons get a huge early season win against a team with a top-30 RPI when they defeat the Aggies 74-61.
• Dec. 23, 2017 vs. Nevada: USF gets another win over a team with a top-25 RPI, this one secures the Continental Tires Las Vegas Classic Championship when Jordan Ratinho hit a three with six seconds remaining as the Dons defeated the Wolf Pack 66-64.

 
Come see him coach the Dons next Saturday when USF hosts No. 19 Gonzaga a 6:30 p.m. at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.  For tickets visit Dons Ticket Central.