Smith Steps Down As Bradley Central Wrestling Coach

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- When Bradley Central head wrestling coach Ben Smith took over one of the most successful programs anywhere around, he knew he would be in the shadow of coaching legend Steve Logsdon.

There were growing pains to be sure, but Smith took the challenge, stepped up and successfully put his stamp on Bears Wrestling and made the program his own.

But, as the years passed and Smith married and started a family, priorities began to change, not only from a family perspective, but from a viewpoint that his faith in God is leading him to new and different places.

It is with those standpoints and the fact he simply feels it it time to pass the torch, Smith is stepping down as head coach of Bradley Central Wrestling effective.

The search for a replacement for Smith has begun with qualified candidates looking to take over the head coach's office.

Smith has been head wrangler of the Bears for 12 years and was assistant to Logsdon for eight.

“I have devoted 20 years of my life to Bradley Wrestling, eight as the assistant and 12 as the head coach. I hope to remain involved in the Bradley Wrestling community in some capacity, just no longer as the head coach,” he said. “The three primary reasons for my resignation are to create more margin in my life for my family, opportunities from professional movement, and, simply, it's time.”

Smith stepped into wrestling after being cut from the seventh-grade basketball team a Trewhitt Junior High School. He has bee a major player in the success of the program ever since as a wrestler and coach.

“I have never left Bradley wrestling. I've always been a part of it. I've always identified as a wrestler in the wrestling world and specifically the past 20 years as a coach,” he said.

Smith's impressive resume from 2011-2023 includes a career record of 228-67 with two state duals championships and two traditionals titles. Under Smith, the Bears were state runners-up five times (five duals and two traditionals). Four times the Bradley program finished third in the state, twice in duals tournaments and twice in traditionals

Under Smith's guidance, the Bears' program produced 20 state champions and 70 individual state medalists and boasts one four-time state champion in Knox Fuller, who also was a Most Outstanding Wrestler Award winner.

Although Smith never reached the top of the podium as a wrestler, it was his drive and experience that instilled his passion for coaching young men and now young women on the mat.

“I finished third two times (in the state tournament) in 1998 and '99 at 130 pounds. I lost very few times in high school, just lost two of them at the wrong time,” Smith said with a grin. “That was always a driving force for me to wrestle in college — Tennessee Chattanooga from '99-'03 — and coach with the passion that I had. I never wanted my guys and girls to experience the disappointment that I felt those two state tournaments.”

Smith said he is grateful for his time as head coach and thanked those who helped him achieve success.

“Thank you for the opportunity to serve as head wrestling coach for the past 12 years. It has been one of the greatest honors and grandest highlights of my life,” he said in the official statement released by the school. “Being head coach was truly a dream job for me as a young wrestler under coach Logsdon. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve the students and athletes of Bradley Central in this capacity and eagerly anticipate and look forward to what is next for the program, our wrestlers, and myself in the near future.

Smith gave three primary reasons for his decision to step back from the head coaching job.

“To create some margin, to be the husband (to my wife) and the dad to my girls that they need,” he said.

He cited a 2018 conversation with his wife, Sarah, that essentially set in motion his decision to step back.

“She always felt like she was getting what's left,” he said. “It's always stuck with me. Then the Lord allowed us to have children, probably the greatest desire of our hearts. That opened up some of the health issues she's had that we are recovering from now.

“We've got a three-year old (Dottie) and a one-year old (Dollie) in our family. We don't have the support structures in place to be able to go and do and have the time that a lot of people do,” Smith continued. “My wife and my kids deserve more time than what I'm able to give them. When I'm here (with the wrestling team) I feel guilty that I'm not with them. When I'm with them (family) I feel guilty that I'm not able to do what it requires to sit in that (coaching) seat like I used to because if I do one the right way the other one suffers. I work in an industry where you see split homes and absent parents. These girls are not going to be raised in this world without a present father. I'd be lying if I said that didn't play a huge role.”

Smith said if giving up his coaching position to drop off his girls at dance and pick them up or if all they want to do is ride bikes it will be well worth it to make memories with them.

Smith said another big reason he is turning loose of the keys to the program is his calling for international missions.

“The past five or six years I've been involved in international missions and a men's ministry at my church (First Baptist),” he explained. “I think it will be creating some more margin for me to be a little bit more involved in the international missions side of things that I'm really interested in.

“If I can step back and create some more margin to have some time for things I already do as far as the men's ministry and other international opportunities that could be on the horizon.”

The third reason for Smith's decision is he feels it's simply time to step down, a feeling he has has since the latter part of the 2022 season.

“I definitely sensed it in the offseason. I feel like I'm at my best when I'm with the kids and I'm in the room and at the tournaments. But, the other elements of coaching it takes right now, I don't enjoy the logistics,” Smith stated. “If I could build relationships, change lives and coach some wrestling in the process that would be great. But, the fund raising, the three or four weekends a month in March, April, May, June and July; I don't have that in me anymore.”

Smith reiterated it all comes back to family and faith and the 12 to 14 hours days have simply become too much.

“I'm just not willing to do that anymore,” he said. “It's time to get out of the way and let some guys (take over) who are willing do that. I would be selfish if I kept sitting there (in the head coach's chair).”

Smith is proud to have made the Bradley wrestling program his own after taking over from Logsdon. Smith has successfully put his stamp on a program that is known state wide and beyond the Tennessee borders as one of the best anywhere.

“I had to make it my own because Steve was such a hard act to follow that you can't follow that,” he explained. “The way coach Logsdon did things, I wasn't capable of doing things the way he did them. Therefore I had to do them on my own and in the process become who I am. I had to stop comparing myself to Steve. I do think the way people view Bradley wrestling now, I think you can see my influence in it. I'm proud of that, I think it's a positive.”

Smith said his future could consist of stepping into an administrative role and has been preparing to take steps in that direction. In the mean time he is satisfied with where things stand at the moment.

(Contact Richard Roberts at richardvol55@yahoo.com)