Having helped University of Missouri men’s basketball reestablish itself on the national stage during his first three years with the program, Kyle Smithpeters has been elevated to associate head coach, announced by Whitten Family Head Coach Dennis Gates on Tuesday.
“Kyle has played a pivotal role as we’ve restored Missouri basketball nationally and placed it among the top of the SEC,” Gates said. “During the last three seasons, his efforts in recruiting and development of student-athletes is one of the key reasons for our success at Mizzou. He has been tremendous at building relationships and locking down top targets before helping them reach their full potential on the court, in the classroom and in the community. He has exceeded all of my expectations and this promotion is well earned as we continue to chase championships.”
In his first three years with the Tigers as the program’s assistant coach, Smithpeters played a key role in orchestrating a turnaround at Mizzou that saw the team record its best SEC finish in school history, while twice eclipsing 20 wins and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
“I’ve enjoyed every aspect of my first three seasons with Missouri basketball and I couldn’t be more thrilled in my new role as associate head coach,” Smithpeters said. “I’m truly excited about the future as there is so much more that we can accomplish. I’m honored to work with so many great basketball minds on a daily basis. To learn from Coach Gates – from x’s and o’s to game management – has been very fulfilling and I’m looking forward to continuing to build off that as we elevate the Mizzou program even further.”
Joining the Tigers after a highly-successful 10-year stint in charge at John A. Logan Community College, Smithpeters helped make an immediate impact with the Tigers. During his first season with the program in 2022-23, Mizzou posted its most wins in 11 years with 25 victories, while advancing to the SEC Tournament Semifinals for the first time and earning its first NCAA Tournament win in 13 years.
Smithpeters and the Tigers didn’t slow down after the early success. He played a vital role in Mizzou securing the nation’s fifth-ranked recruiting class in 2023, leading to even more accomplishments in his third season on campus. During the 2024-25 campaign, the Tigers earned three wins over schools ranked in the top five nationally for the first time since 1988-89 as Mizzou placed sixth in a SEC that sent a record 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Advancing to the next level has also become common with Smithpeters on the Mizzou sideline as five Tigers have signed with NBA franchises following their time on campus. Kobe Brown was selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Clippers, while D’Moi Hodge, Sean East II, Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill have also inked contracts at the next level.
The early accomplishments exhibited by Smithpeters and Mizzou was nothing new for the long-time head coach. In 10 years with Logan, Smithpeters compiled a 241-73 record and was an eight-time Great Rivers Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, while mentoring two NJCAA National Players of the Year and 10 All-Americans during his tenure.
A graduate of Southern Illinois, Smithpeters has also spent time at Southeastern Illinois and Missouri State during his coaching career.
