Harding Academy promotes assistant to head coach
SEARCY — Alex Smith has wanted to be a coach ever since he figured out that his dream of being a Major League Baseball player was not going to come true.
“In high school, I think I was even voted ‘Most Likely to Become a Coach,’” Smith said. “It has always been something I wanted to do, if my dream of being in the MLB didn’t work out.”
So when Smith was approached with the idea of being the new head baseball coach at Harding Academy, he was more than ready.
“I was definitely jumping for joy inside, while not being sure it was real on the outside,” Smith said. “I have dreamt about this day. I didn’t think it was going to happen in that moment.
“It has taken me some time to get used to it, mostly the work behind the scenes that the head coach normally does — it has been great.”
Smith has been an assistant coach under former head coach Shane Fullerton for five seasons. But when Fullerton decided to make the move to an administrative role for the school, he wanted to step down as head coach of the baseball team.
“Baseball and athletics in general have been a blessing from God,” said Fullerton, who is now the associate athletic director for Harding Academy. “Being a son of a high school coach and an elementary PE teacher, I don’t think there has ever been a meal that has been put on my family’s table that wasn’t somehow paid for or provided through athletics — specifically the game of baseball.
“It is very important to me and my family.”
Fullerton said his two older sons are both college baseball players, and he had the opportunity to coach them at Harding Academy, and Fullerton’s wife was a college basketball player at Harding University. Now their daughter is following in her mom’s footsteps by playing basketball and soccer.
“My youngest boy, who is 8, loves it, and it has been a blessing to be a part of it, so giving up the reins was not an easy decision for me,” Fullerton said. “I would not have wanted to turn over the reins to anyone other than Alex.
“I wouldn’t have turned it over to someone who was not able to operate at a high level and care about our players like Alex does. That made the decision a lot easier.”
Smith grew up in Angleton, Texas, which is about 35 miles south of Houston. He came to Arkansas in fall 2008 to play baseball at Harding University for former head coach Patrick McGaha. Following his playing career, Smith was a graduate assistant at the university and had gotten to know Fullerton during that time. Smith said he went to work for him one summer and enjoyed it so much that Fullerton went to the administration and asked to hire Smith.
“Coach Fullerton and I have had an opportunity to work side by side, and he has always respected my opinion and wanted my input,” Smith said. “Over the years, he has given me more responsibilities and allowed me to make some calls on my own.
“When the switch happened, it was a pretty seamless process because of the respect we both have for each other.”
“I’m enjoying working with Coach Smith,” Fullerton said, “as much now as his assistant as when he was mine. I think it is rare that two men who are driven for success and leadership can change positions with so little ego in mind.
“With Alex being the man that he is, the transition has been nothing but smooth.”
Fullerton, who will serve as an assistant coach, said Smith has a very strong base of knowledge for all facets of the game, but most importantly, he relates to the student-athletes at a high level.
“He truly cares about those guys as human beings first and baseball players second,” Fullerton said. “He is proving on a daily basis that he deserves this position.”
Fullerton and Smith won back-to-back state championships together in 2017 and 2018.
“It has been an honor to be a part of a program with the tradition, support and success that Harding Academy has had,” Smith said.
He said working under Fullerton has taught him that there are no shortcuts to anything.
“That is something I am definitely bringing with me,” Smith said. “We want to work, have fun and do things the right way.”