This past summer, it was announced that Mr. Aiken would become Eden’s new Head of School.  With the increased responsibilities on his plate, there wasn’t much time for him to be coaching the Boys Varsity basketball team. But the boys team was not shrouded in mystery the whole summer as to who their new coach would be.  They knew fairly quickly that it would be Aaron Smith.

If that name sounds familiar to you, it is probably because you know Aaron Smith as a former player for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  So why would a former professional football player coach high school basketball?  Coach Smith was actually always a lover of basketball and didn’t begin playing football until his freshman year of high school. “My high school basketball coach impacted my life so much, I just wanted to give back.”

Coach Smith is not totally brand new to coaching Eden basketball.  He previously coached with Coach Aiken and Coach Foltz for four years after his retirement from pro football.  He then continued to be an assistant coach, but for North Allegheny’s Boys Varsity Basketball Team.  However, that didn’t necessarily spell the end for his time at Eden. “I always had feelings of coming back to Eden. My first time at Eden had really left an impact on me.”

While football and basketball are very different, Coach Smith’s time in the NFL has greatly impacted his coaching abilities for basketball. “Playing pro football has helped a ton when coaching. Those experiences help with dealing with a variety of athletes and personalities.”

Basketball season may not have started yet, but Coach Smith is already holding open gyms on Thursday afternoons during TS.  Many of his players are currently playing other sports and can’t make those open gyms, but a good bit of the team has still been able to attend.  Regardless, it is still a little early to have a good outlook on how the season may go.  “We have been working hard and getting better. Both physically and mentally.” 

Coaches can be the driving force behind a team.  It is great seeing the impact of these new coaches on campus and it is exciting to see what other successes may come in the future.  Be sure to look out for more stories on these teams and other Eden sports this school year!