D-III Saint John's coach retires after 51 years

Jim Smith has decided to retire after 51 seasons as men's basketball coach at Saint John's University in Minnesota.

Smith, 80, announced his retirement to his players on Tuesday afternoon, according to the St. Cloud Times. He finishes with a record of 786-556 at the Division III school.

Smith played at Marquette in the 1950s, and became the Saint John's coach before the 1964-65 season. Under him, Saint John's made 17 postseason tournament appearances, most recently in 2007.