Smith's future with Tide still uncertain

TUSCALOOSA | It’s been five days since the University of Alabama women’s basketball team exited the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the third straight year, and the future of coach Stephany Smith has yet to determined.

UA officials were expected to meet with Smith early this week to evaluate this season and the future of the program.

Smith spent Monday on the road recruiting and was not available for comment. Mal Moore and current UA players were also not available for comment.

The Crimson Tide lost to Georgia 71-62 on Thursday and extended its losing streak to 14 games. Alabama has won four SEC games in Smith’s three seasons and ranks next-to-last in the country in conference wins over that stretch. Only Virginia Military Institute has fewer conference wins with zero.

Smith has two years remaining on a five-year deal she signed in 2005 to replace coach Rick Moody. If she were fired she would be owed two years of her $150,000 base salary, or $300,000.

Smith had four players miss significant playing time this season, including Alyson Butler, who missed the entire season, Daleisha Carn, who was lost to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee and missed most of the season, and Katie Hancock, who missed the first 19 games after rehabbing a knee injury.

She also lost the previous season’s starting point guard, Nikki Davis, when Davis left the team prior to the beginning of the season. Davis transferred to Virginia Tech.

Smith is 29-90 in three seasons. She took the job after an eight-year stint at Middle Tennessee State where she was 153-88. She guided the Blue Raiders to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including upsets over North Carolina and North Carolina State.