University of the Pacific men's basketball Head Coach Dave Smart, who built one of the most dominant collegiate basketball dynasties in Canadian history, has been named to the Canadian Basketball 2026 Hall of Fame Class.

Smart is one of two coaches in the ten-person class, which includes former NBA talent Jamaal Magloire.

"Being inducted to the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame is a great honor and I truly appreciate the people who were kind enough to show so much respect to the players that came through Carleton, the Guardsmen and the Ottawa Elite programs," Smart said.
 
"To be inducted as a coach is more credit to the incredible players that I was able to have on my teams, than anything I did. I am very proud of the type of character and talent we were able to have involved in all three of those programs and I take great pride in knowing I was part of that selection process."
 
Prior to his arrival at Pacific in 2024, Smart spent 19 seasons building Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, into a collegiate basketball powerhouse and perennial championship contender that netted the Ravens 13 national titles. Under his leadership, Carleton won five consecutive championships twice (2002-07 and 2010-15) and reached the national semifinals or better from the 2002-03 season through his final year.

During his tenure, Carleton University won more than 90% of their games. In his final three seasons, the Ravens went a combined 64-1 in conference play and 98-3 overall.  

Many of the tactics that earned Smart a reputation as one of the architects of modern Canadian collegiate basketball have been applied to his time in Stockton, and to early success. Focusing on defensive intensity, team-first principles, conditioning and data-driven decision making, Smart's approach is centered on building a sustainable winning culture.

Smart has cultivated a winning culture within the program. With 18 wins during the 2025-26 season and eight in the West Coast Conference, Smart’s team posted more overall and conference victories than the last two years combined. The Tigers solidified their first winning season in six years and third since rejoining the league.

Within two seasons at the helm, Pacific boasted a top 60 ranked scoring defense, a top 50 rebounding attack and a top 10 rebounding margin nationally. On the offensive half of the court, Smart's leadership has helped earn the Tigers top 70 marks at the free throw line and beyond the three-point arc. Those improvements helped Pacific climb 183 spots in the final NET rankings, moving from No. 297 after his first season to No. 114 following the 2024-25 season.

"Coach Smart is one of the most deserving people to have earned this honor, and I could not be happier to see his work recognized at the highest level in Canada," Pacific Athletic Director Adam Tschuor said. "It was evident during our search that Coach Smart knew what it took to build a winner, and watching him lay the foundation at Pacific has me excited for what's still to come with our program in his already Hall of Fame career."

Smart will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Aug. 20 during a ceremony in St. Stephen, New Brunswick.