Pat McKenzie’s family is ingrained in the history of St. John’s (Minnesota) University. The former point guard and current head coach played from 2000-04, his father, Pat, played at the school from 1975-79 and his younger brother, Kevin, played from 2010-14.

The three of them played in completely different eras, but all ended up playing for the same head coach.

Jim Smith became the head coach of the Johnnies in 1964. On March 17 of last year, Smith retired after spending 51 years on the job. He didn’t go into the season knowing that it would be his last.

“All of a sudden the decision seemed right,” Smith said.

Smith is the winningest coach in Minnesota college basketball history on any level. His 786 wins rank second all-time in Division III history and 14th in NCAA history among all divisions. He had the best winning percentage in school history among coaches who were around for at least 20 games.

Smith left his imprint on the university in more ways than one. He coached golf and cross country, among other sports, and even served two different stints as the athletic director. Now, McKenzie is tasked with replacing a man whose lasting legacy on the school spans over half a century.

“I never once felt like he’s looking over my shoulder or I’m in his shadow,” McKenzie said. “If anything, I feel like he’s got his arm around my shoulder.”

McKenzie, who was an assistant under Smith for the last nine years, said that there were nerves and anxious moments when he first took over. But as his young head coaching career has progressed, it’s become easier for him with the continued level of support from his former boss.

Smith said that he would be there to help McKenzie whenever he needed it, but he stressed that he would try and remain as hands-off as possible.

McKenzie was hired on April 15, just under a month after Smith’s retirement decision came. He felt cautiously optimistic that he would get the job after talking with people around the community.

Still, he had to go through the full process of applying and interviewing with the committee that was formed to look for Smith’s replacement. One of the members on the committee was Mitchell Kuck, who was just finishing his junior year.

The committee did its best to remain unbiased and to give a fair shot to every candidate, according to Kuck. But he also acknowledged that people in the community had a feeling that McKenzie was preparing to get the job for whenever his predecessor decided to retire.

Kuck said that the players recognize that McKenzie is naturally more intense and serious than Smith was, though he credits that to Smith’s long tenure and McKenzie’s inexperience at the helm. But his favorite moment from this season broke the norm. After getting their first win of the season, McKenzie celebrated and shouted with the rest of his players in the locker room.

“It was just a great memory for me, and it was something I’d never seen out of him before,” Kuck said.

McKenzie conducts a few things differently now that Smith is gone. He focuses more on the players’ strength and conditioning and runs practice in a more structured manner.

With the Johnnies entering a new phase in their programs history after 51 years of relative consistency, it’s up to McKenzie to find a way to continue the success.

Published on February 15, 2016 at 10:32 pm

Contact Tomer: tdlanger@syr.edu | @tomer_langer