It’s February 11th, 3rd quarter with a 5 point lead for Oakwood HS in a CIF playoff game vs. Thatcher High School. Assistant coach Olin Simplis is getting his players ultra hyped as he lays out the plan. He treats these boys like grown freaking men to bring out the best in them.
He gives them the same attention to detail he showed the Dallas Mavericks’ Spencer Dinwiddie who loves Olin so much he calls him Uncle. Olin pushed Spence back in the day the same way he pushes these Oakwood players.
That pup Spence needed to learn to feed like a “big dawg” in big games, because Spence had a big ol’ dream of being an NBA pro. Most kids dream it but it takes more than having the talent, it takes being treated like a grown ass man to achieve it.
I’ll let Spencer relate why Olin is good for kids, “Olin trained me every step of the way. He’s been my primary trainer and the best I’ve ever had. He treats his craft as an art form, and did it in a way to develop and create growth in my game and with so many other people I’ve known.
“He has the biggest heart. He’ll pick up a kid and take him to games in LA because he has this passion. He’ll be totally into training all day, even if it’s 10 pm.
"He helps everyone equally, never discriminates to see a pro get better treatment than someone new to the game. His knowledge of his craft is so impressive., I can’t say enough good things.”
So how set aflame do you think that Oakwood huddle was, either win that night or your season is over? Olin showed uber passion and seemed like a pit-bull barking out directions “Bite em the right way!” O always has just the right advice and plan to give his team.
Everyone in basketball circles knows that Olin is the man in LA, a supremely respected trainer for Wasserman Sports Agency, whose client list includes many elite NBA players. So you can imagine the Oakwood players are ALL EARS in the coaches huddle.
What kid wouldn’t want a coach who trained the NBA likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Rui Hachimura, Evan Mobley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Suggs, De’Andre Hunter and a dozen more NBA and WNBA players that looked to Olin for that critical support to make it?
So when Olin treats these kids like grown men, do you think they listen and are inspired by him?
Olin told the Oakwood players, “Go out there and get those mother$&@$ers, just rebound everything guys. Execute what we do in practice, it’s within you to clean the boards and kick it out to shooters if you want this win. We believe in you, let’s not let our moment pass us by!”
Click on link for my feature on Olin: https://californiapreps.rivals.com/news/olin-simplis-is-100-trainer-magician-angel
O-Simplis was himself a great baller in prep, a Parade All-American out of Palisades High School. Maybe Pali wasn’t a big name school when Olin got there but he helped put it on the map, the same way he’s doing by being that next level assistant coach that will help propel this Oakwood program.
I’ll make a big statement: Oakwood has the most qualified cadre of coaches in the Los Anglels area.
In the whole city, all of L.A. E-Woods, really? It’s like that? Why am I writing this story you may ask, why such huge proclamations you might say?
Well, I had a very good D1 boy’s prospect come ask me for advice not too long ago. If you read my stories, then you know I’m also a grade school teacher the last 24 years besides being a writer, evaluator of talent.
I’ve been giving advice to great dudes like Frank DeRozan, may he RIP, since 2004. His son DeMar played for our SLAM AAU team in junior high in 04’.
Here’s my feature story on DeMar from 2004: https://californiapreps.rivals.com/news/14u-star-gravity-and-limits-forgot-about-him
It’s in my nature to help advise those that hit me up on the pros and cons of situations they are considering. So me writing this story is answering that D1 prospect kid, speaking truth to power.
The talented D1 kid was determined to transfer because he says his coach doesn’t know what he’s doing, his less talented teammates look him off. He tells me this famous school in Chatsworth wants him, but he’s not feeling it because too many of the kids there are big headed.
They got 5-star players coming off the bench, the coaches are telling him they need just one more piece to help them get a state chip. He says they are chasing the precious, but they don’t even know how to manage what they already have E-Woods.
This young bull asks me, “Where might I look if I want to get elite training and help me get elite level D1 colleges to take me serious? I need to up my skill set and play with guys that play the right way.”
I was impressed by this kid, he so eloquently detailing what he needed, “Is there is a coaching staff in LA who is veteran, still humble, play a pro style, just has a resume at the highest level? Because my dream is to be a pro, and I want to move to a program that will meet my energy, help fulfill my dream.”
So here we are, me answering the kid, me deciding to do a story on what I was asked. Me, E-Woods, I’ve never been afraid to speak up.
Rewind example: I once called Taft head coach Derrick Taylor on the phone and told him I was publishing a story about how Taft will be “The Takeover in LA City Section 2005”, how Taft was the best in the city over Ed Azzam’s traditional powerhouse Westchester.
I respected both guys greatly that year, considered both coaches friends. When you’ve seen so much it gives you a crystal ball and I have a tradition putting out stories of “who got next.”
So now it’s 2022-23, time to give proper due to Mr. Steve Smith, the former Windward athletic director who built that Windward house, helped build its lustrous rep, brick by brick, with untold gallons of sweat to its fantastic reputation in his time there from 2001-2016.
What’s more crazy to know about Coach Smith? This guy has 10x’s more juice than the Energizer Bunny, because at the same time Smith was an athletic director at Windward, he found time to be a premier WNBA assistant coach.
He’s been an assistant 25 years straight in the W since 1997, helping teams such as Phoenix, LA Sparks, Detroit, and the Indiana Fever. How could this man find time to be in charge of Windward and still get the time to get down with the most talented ball players in the WNBA?
Simple silly rabbit, it’s in his blood. His dad, Steve “Lucky” Smith, was drafted into the NBA in 1969 out of Hawaii and his cousins are Reggie and Cheryl Miller. Basketball just runs in his veins.
Besides being that pro coach and blazingly successful athletic director, coach Smith unbelievably found time to be the girls’ coach at Windward from 2000-2011, and also was the boys’ coach from 2014-2018.
What does he cherish most from his time there, where he had an overall record of 317-103? It’s not just the many great CIF chips, state titles, getting his team ranked #3 in the country once.
What seems to stay with coach Smith the most, what his greatest accomplishment was, in his words, “I just tried to help each kid that crossed my path, stay humble to the game the whole time.
“I treated each kid as if they were my own kid. Family is everything. I prodded my players into giving their full potential on the court, off the court. 100% of our kids went on to a 4 year college. We just tried to build their character to prepare them for life and maximize their skill set in sport to help them realize how to separate themselves in the game of life.”
I asked Coach Smith why he got into coaching, why the switch to Oakwood? He told me, “I think working with young kids, seeing them try to live out their dreams keeps you young yourself.
"I’m proud of my time at Windward but the opportunity, the challenge to show we could do it again, all over again with a very supportive administration at Oakwood, that was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
Let’s hear from the ever dope Shareef O’Neal, who played for coach Smith, on why he chose to play for him, why he considers him a 2nd dad and appreciates this caring man. Hear Reef’s words, “When I was at Wildwood Junior High, I was looking for just the right high school program to unlock my full potential.
“I’d play vs. Coach Steve’s son Tyler, we are such good friends. So me seeing first hand how the Smiths are, it was easy to respect everything they’re about. I remember being on a stacked varsity team as a freshman, us in the city championship, not having earned much playing time to that point.
“Roman Davis fouled out and coach looked me in the eye and said ‘Get in there Reef, I believe in you, just believe in yourself.’ I just think of coach Steve as a 2nd dad. I’ve been around a lot of high level basketball minds and it’s easy to see he has a very high hoop knowledge. His fire and expertise helped me get into being the #1 rated player in California my senior year.
“I asked Coach to pull out this photo I heard he carried. I heard he had a shot of himself dunking on dudes when he was young, balling for Dominican College and The famed Baker League in Philly 1987-89’. You could tell he had that jumping ability; his heart to play was in that photo. It never left him because his heart to coach kids is so special.”
# speak on it Reef
Fast forward from 1986 to now, from when Steve Smith graduated prep himself in the Inland Empire, to coaching prep kids this past recent season. We saw that Oakwood had a mixed overall record because of their injuries and the task of getting all the pieces together.
They started out 1-9 but through that 1st season under this coaching staff, they came together to finish the regular season at 11-13 and made a deep run in CIF playoffs. They beat Thatcher, then beat a good Inglewood team before losing a lead in the 4th quarter to a very good Artesia team, losing by 4 in OT.
On the team are young players like junior 6-2 point guard Ben Eisendrath, who has a D1 skill set and getting D1 recruiting attention, soph Peyton Slaughter who is a hot shooting 6-3 player with plenty of upside, and 5-10 freshman Owen Sacchi who has much potential coming off the bench.
The whole team responds to the coaching staff and their directions, they simply outplay whichever opponents that are put in front of them.
Oakwood in black vs. Summit of Fontana:
Hear from Olin Simplis who is committed to this program and makes himself accessible to help coach and train these players at Oakwood. “I’ve always tried to stay associated with coach Steve because he’s good people and a pro’s pro.
“I’m not there at the practices and campus on the daily because of my client work schedule but to be a part of a program building in as big a way as I can is important to me. This is a special school, these are hard working kids, very respectful kids. They really take well to instruction and we have big expectations and goals for them.
“We had a good baseline year and as more talented players choose to be a part of what our shared team vision is, success will follow because the kids and coaching staff stay humble. We just work and outwork the competition. The expert coaching, skills instructions, and strategy we employ will make the difference.”
My projection for this program’s success level in the next couple years? This was the first year for Coach Steve, Olin, and Brandon Smith (who was a standout basketball player in his time for Cal) and it seems that with just 2-3 more D1 players on this roster, Oakwood could easily keep up with any and all programs in the area.
Imagine if Oakwood landed a boy version of the ultra high profile talent like Jordin Canada who chose to play for Coach Steve. For those not not familiar with the women’s hoop game, J-Canada just had a mural painted of her, along with Russ Westbrook on the inside walls of the Crenshaw Boys Club.
Jordin was a 4-time prep All-American that chose to play with Coach Steve at Windward, was an All-American at UCLA, and the 5th pick in the WNBA lottery. She’s a Jordan Brand ambassador besides being a star in the W with unparalleled style. She helped power her Seattle Storm team to a chip.
She gives so much credit to Coach Steve, “Coach was an integral part of my first 2 years at Windward. He helped to develop this tremendous work ethic I have built, he helped me see what WNBA players do and train for at an early age.
“He showed me how to take care of business off the court. It took a village to help raise me, my other great mentor was my GBL girl’s AAU coach Sherri Pegues. She guided me at a young age, and then Coach Steve took over in terms of helping building the drive to push my game farther.
“For example, he gave me the tools and the freedom to be a leader, the trust necessary to spread my wings. I still lean on him as a resource nowadays. When our pro teams play vs. each other, he’ll call me afterwards to check on me. He really cares about me, he cares about all his players, it makes him special.”
# game recognizes game
Another respected baller that is finding success with the help of Coach Smith is UCLA’s Jules Bernard. His comments are powerful, “Well, coach Steve has a great basketball mind first of all. He truly understands the game and cares for his players. He’s been around basketball from the grassroots level all the way up to the highest level.
“If you listen to the man speak, right away you understand the type of person you are dealing with. He speaks with eloquence and in a smooth manner that makes you feel that everything is going to be alright. But don’t get fooled by his smooth way of speaking, Coach Smith is a fighter, a competitor, and a winner.
“I was fortunate to experience all those qualities from a young age when I knew him as a basketball dad of one of my teammates and best friends, to later on him coaching me as my head coach in high school. My love and appreciation will never meet an end for Coach Smith.
“He gave me an opportunity to attend a school beyond my early imaginations of what it was supposed to be like. He has always supported me and cared for me through all the years I have known him. His heart is pure and he is truly an integral piece in who I am today.
“Beyond that he is a great father and family man. I have been close with his son and family since I was in elementary school. Any chance I can get, I want to thank him for what he has done and the type of person he has been for me, as well as others, on and off the court.”
Some of Coach Smith’s most successful players didn’t start out that way. For example, take the ever beautiful model and WNBA Dallas Wings 6-7 player Imani McGee-Stafford, who is the daughter of legendary WNBA player Pam McGee, who played for Coach Smith. Her brother is NBA player JaVale McGee.
When her mom Pam had to find a place for Imani that she could trust, Coach Steve was the clear choice. Imani was by her own admission, not that good a ball player coming into high school. I’ll let her explain the nature of her appreciation of both Olin Simplis and Coach Smith who she considers truly her family.
“I am forever indebted to Coach Smith, and I wouldn’t be where I am in my life without Steve and Olin Simplis. In high school I was an angry girl, a person who had too much darkness brewing inside me from some of the bad things that happened to me at an early age.
“But Coach Smith called me ‘Sunshine’, that was what he always called me. His love for me was always unconditional. He’d pick me up from the city of Paramount and take me to Windward to make it happen for me getting to school. That gave me a chance to excel at a great academic school.
“When few others cared about me, he gave me these guiding principles and has been a constant positive force in my life. I just know both these men are so good for kids, they help people get to their maximum ability. They see a vision of what you can do for yourself, even when you don’t see it yourself. They’re my family and always will be in my heart.”
She and Jordin Canada go by practices to help the Oakwood players develop nowadays in 21-22’,
Now do you see why Steve Smith is that life transformer, why your humble writer, E-Woods would want my own kid to play for him? That’s the threshold for me to endorse a coach.
From the great multitudes of players that suited up for Coach Steve that I have talked to, one special young lady seems to embody what true support can lead to. Her name is Dr. Erica Tukiainen. She helped forge the Windward rep in the early 2000s, was a team captain and had a solid career for UCLA until she became a child pediatrician doctor after college.
It’s so touching to hear how far Erica progressed under coach Smith’s care. She says, “Only having a single mom, limited resources, barely learning English since we just moved from Finland to LA as I was about to enter high school, Coach Steve took our family in as his 2nd family. He showed me and all the girls how to be of service to others, grow as women in society.
“That meant everything to me back then. He reminded me to stay ahead of the curve. Our comp in league wasn’t that good back in the early 2000s, so he constantly showed us how to improve, unlock our brains to achieve mental preparation.
“He knew I wanted to play in college at a high level, so he encouraged me to find uncomfortable spaces where I could grow. Like when I totally changed the form of my shot in my junior year, it was painful but necessary.
“I learned from him to not just settle, or squander my height to be a post player but rather to envision and attain the guard skills for the next level. He showed me how to be a leader in all ways. I use much of what he showed me in my career as a physician to this day.
“I just mirror what I was taught in high school, it’s about we, not about ourselves always but it’s about how you carry yourself. I have so many guiding principles from Coach Steve, he started me off the right way.”
Sports is more than a game in a world that is consumed by wins and losses. Someone wise once told me, “You can lose all your games, or win all your games, but if you’re trying to get to the next level then it’s the skill that matters above all the W’s and L’s that will get you to an elite college career or the pros.”
“Coaching Royale?” I just told you where to find it, evolving to dominance. Based on their past performance, how likely do you think Oakwood will be dominant in the LA basketball scene for years to come?
