Vicksburg, MS -- (Sports Network) - Alcorn State named Larry Smith it's new men's basketball coach Thursday.

Smith lettered for four years at Alcorn State and was part of the undefeated 1979-80 team at the school before moving on to an accomplished NBA career that spanned 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs.

"It feels good to come back home," Smith said. "My number one priority will be recruiting, because there are good players out there. We just have to find them."

A tireless rebounder, Smith received NBA All-Rookie First Team honors and became the first rookie since the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to finish among the top three rebounders in one season, when he averaged 12.1 boards per game.

As an assistant coach, Smith was a part of back-to-back championships with the Houston Rockets during the 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 seasons. He was also an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA.

The Braves finished with a 7-24 record this past season under Samuel West and did not qualify for the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament thanks to a 6-12 mark in league play.