One of the most successful soccer coaches in the state announced his retirement on Monday afternoon.
Hough soccer coach David Smith announced his retirement on X, adding that he has accepted a position at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and that he will also be retiring from teaching after 32 years.
Smith had been the only boys soccer and girls soccer coach in Hough’s history, making five state title games since the school opened in the fall of 2010.
He led the Huskies to three straight 4A girls soccer title appearances, winning it all in 2012 and 2014 with a runner-up finish in 2013. He went to 10 regional final appearances (six on the boys’ side, four on the girls’).
He also took the boys to two 4A finals, finishing runner-up in 2017 and 2021.
Smith’s overall record was 653-214-48 (248-71-16 for the boys’ side, 267-31-15 for the girls’ side) and 515 of those wins were at Hough.
In 15 years at Hough, he won 24 conference titles (12 for boys and 12 for girls) and was inducted into the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association’s Field of Honor in 2022. He previously coached at Chambers (which was then Vance High).
