SMITHFIELD – In a unanimous vote, the Johnston County School Board has named the basketball court at Smithfield Selma High School as “Carl Spragins Court.” The decision was made at the April school board meeting.
Coach Spragins was a former teacher, coach, and athletic director at SSS. He believed in teaching students to excel in the classroom and in athletics. He started his career in 1981 at SSS as a Health & Physical Education teacher. From 1981 to 2000, he served as the Head Boys Basketball Coach and several years as a junior varsity football coach.
His 1994 basketball team was the Tri-Six Conference Tournament Champions and the 1994 runner-up in Sectionals. During his career, Coach Spragins had a record of 274 wins and 205 losses on the basketball court.
He served as Athletic Director at the school from 2000 to 2004 before he retired. He was also a member of First Baptist Church in Smithfield.
Coach Spragins passed away in October 2021.
The formal naming request was made to the school board during their February meeting. Policy required the school board wait 60 days before approving the request.
School board member Mike Wooten previously told The Johnston County Report, “Coach Spragins was a great father figure for a lot of students during his tenure. Not only was he a great basketball coach he was a even better life coach. He poured into many student athletes and they are all better people because of his leadership and friendship. It’s an honor to recognize Coach Spragins in this manner so that he is never forgotten and to show his family that his service to JCPS and SSS mattered to all of Johnston County.”
Board member Lyn Andrews said, “His players always knew that he cared about each of them far beyond the basketball court or football field. We spent a great of time not only talking X’s and O’s, but about the challenges of guiding and directing the lives of these young people… Carl experienced the full spectrum of coaching young people from watching them play on the field of competition, to watching them go off to college and becoming successful leaders in their communities. He attended their weddings, and he meet their young families. He stood by their hospital beds and gave words of encouragement. He comforted them in difficult times. And on a few occasions, he stood at their graves when life ended tragically too soon. Carl did all of this with character, courage, class, and commitment. I am so grateful to the community of Smithfield-Selma for the insight and commitment to name the basketball court at SSS, Carl Spragins Court.”
Go coach great man
This was one great man who gave his all to SSS And he was the best drivers Ed teacher. I want never forget driving and doing a backwards figure 8 in the bus parking lot and him laughing