"I'm ready to make a change," said Smith, who will pursue administrative opportunities in the Department of Education. "I'm leaving with mixed emotions. My wife was more worried about (the decision) than I was. She kept saying, 'Are you sure? Are you sure?'"

In 18 years at Kalaheo, Smith led the Mustangs to three state championships and 14 O'ahu Interscholastic Association titles. The Mustangs qualified for the state tournament in every season Smith was the head coach.

Smith also spent five years at Chaminade University, including a stint as interim head coach.

"We're going to miss his coaching," Kalaheo athletic director Lee Cashman said.

A search for a successor will start immediately, Cashman said. Smith said he expects his son Alika, a former Kalaheo and UH standout, and long-time assistant coach Chico Furtado to apply for the job. Alika Smith is an assistant coach at UH-Hilo, and Furtado also is head coach of the Kalaheo girls' team.

Smith credited his success to the continuity of his coaches ­ "I've been able to keep the staff together for at least the last 14 years," he said ­ and the talent pool in the Kailua-Aikahi area.

Kalaheo's enrollment is 1,050, but Smith noted, "Kailua is a basketball community. You drive around our part of Kailua and you see hoops up in a lot of driveways. There are a lot of good youth leagues around here."

Still, Smith has managed to develop several Division I prospects ­ including Alika Smith, Greg Miller and Julian Sensley ­ and compete in the state tournament against private schools with greater budgets.

"We don't have all of the feeder schools and programs like the ILH has," he said, noting many private schools compete in intermediate leagues. "At that age, the kids in our community are playing in a park league. ... But we've had a lot of great players here. You're not going to win without great players, and we've had a number of them."

Smith said he would not rule out returning to college coaching. "You never say never," he said. "It's always open."

For now, his involvement in basketball will be limited to the summer camp he has run for eight years and watching his youngest son, who is attending Kamehameha.

"Now I'll be able to follow him," Smith said.