Another varsity coaching position has opened up at Durango High School.
Nancy Smith, who coached 2½ seasons of DHS Demons girls basketball, resigned from her coaching position Thursday afternoon. Her husband, Tam Smith, announced earlier in the week that he would step down from his principal duties at Miller Middle School for health reasons.
“It was motivated by family reasons. She wants to be at home focusing on Tam,” DHS athletic director Roxanne Perrin said.
Smith went 28-39 in three seasons coaching the Demons. DHS went 12-18 in league games and 1-2 in state tournament games under Smith’s direction. The one state tournament victory came last season when the Demons upset Cheyenne Mountain in the opening round before falling to Pueblo South in the second round.
“The district would like to thank Nancy for all her work and dedication during her tenure, and the entire school community appreciates the leadership she brought to the DHS athletic program,” Durango School District 9-R Public Information Officer Julie Snider-Popp said in a news release to The Durango Herald. “Our thoughts and best wishes are with Nancy and her family.”
Smith, who played collegiately at Wake Forest University, took over the Demons in 2011, replacing Klint Chandler after he coached the Demons for two seasons.
Perrin noted the difficulties varsity coaches face at DHS.
“Our teams are difficult to coach because they’re on the road so much,” Perrin said.
Perrin said she hopes to have the position posted by the end of the week. The varsity softball coaching position also is still vacant, and Perrin, too, has submitted her resignation as athletic director, effective at the end of the school year.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
