AUSTIN, Texas — Intensity and passion for the game. Love and support for his players. These are coaching pillars that John A. Smith has been honing for nearly 20 years. He's brought a demonstrative and demanding style to the Austin Northeast boys basketball team in his first year on the job. 

"Some of them kind of looked at me, rolling their eyes, like, who's this guy?" Smith said. "Where did he come from? Who does he think he is?” 

His players bought into Smith's philosophies and the Raiders have enjoyed one of their best seasons in the past decade. 

“We don't have all the resources and facilities, but these kids do have a heart," Smith said. "These kids have a unique ability and they just want to know that somebody loves them and that somebody is going to pour into them.”   

But midway through the 2021-22 season, it was Coach Smith who would need the extra support.

“My phone started ringing back-to-back-to-back, 3:30 in the morning," Smith said. "You wake up and you notice the caller ID. My heart immediately started beating because if my sister-in-law is calling me, it has to do something with either my brother or those kids.”

A text message confirmed Smith's fears. His younger brother, Quinton, had been shot in San Antonio.

While his brother was in surgery, Smith raced to the hospital. The doctor emerged from the operating room shortly after Smith arrived.

“And he said the words, I've tried everything. I operated on your brother for about three hours and he bled out," Smith said. "It was like my entire body went numb. I really couldn't believe it.”

Quinton Smith died on the morning of Jan. 9. He was 28 years old.

“Jan. 8 is actually my mother's birthday, so you want to talk about the ultimate high and ultimate low," Smith said. "I have a mother that's in pain. I have a sister-in-law that lost her partner. I have four nieces and nephews that just lost their father.”

And a big brother who was also in pain. 

But just two days later, Smith sought comfort in coaching his team.

“I’m in tears driving to the game and I'm in tears driving back to San Antonio. But just that short, temporary release, coaching these guys for that 32 minutes," Smith said. "That was enough to help me compartmentalize.”

Northeast defeated Austin Navarro 61-36. Senior Kai Roberson said the entire team knew the importance of winning that game.

“We missed him during the school day. We didn't see him, but we knew we were gonna win that game. We're gonna do that for him and his family. And we're still going, still going for him," Roberson said.

The team focused their efforts on reciprocating a coach's love and support because of the belief that Smith has shown in his players.

“It's a big difference, makes you play harder," Roberson said. "You'll do whatever for him. You’ll throw your all out there for him."

"All these different life lessons in basketball, and now they see their head coach is currently in the storm," Smith said. "I think the kids drew strength from that, but I drew strength from them as well.”

Leaning on the game that he loves helped Smith cope with the losing a person that he loves even more.  

“I was in a hospital the day he was born. I remember changing those diapers," said Smith about his brother. "He would want me to carry on and push through, as hurt as I am, but I also understand I have to carry on his legacy.”