RLC Sports Hall of Fame to induct Alumni Basketball mentors Ron Smith, Glenn Box
By Bob Kelley, Retired RLC Marketing Directory and SID
INA, Ill. (April 17, 2026) — Two gentlemen a generation apart but boasting very similar, equally impressive credentials will share center stage when the Rend Lake College Sports Hall of Fame hosts its Silver Anniversary Induction Ceremonies Saturday, April 25 on the Ina campus in the Banterra Sports Complex.
Benton product Ron Smith previously was recognized as Rend Lake College “Alumnus of the Year” in 2011.
Cairo product Glenn Box similarly was recognized as Rend Lake College “Alumnus of the Year” in 2023.
Alumni Coach / Professional HOF designee Smith played basketball for the Warriors from 1972-74 under Coach Jim Waugh. A 36-year coaching career by the Rich Herrin protégé included nine seasons as a head coach in the prep ranks and 23 years assisting at the Division I University level.
His last 16 years-plus has been spent as an entrepreneur Founder/Director of USA Sports Tours & Events responsible for taking more than 75 teams in a variety of sports on international tours.
Alumni Coach HOF honoree Box played basketball for the Warriors one season, 1995-96, under Coach Tim Wills. “Rend Lake College was my lifeline,” he admits, having returned to
campus six years later to assist Wills before taking charge of the Lady Warriors and posting a program-best 64-31 (.674) record from 2005-08.
Four-year women’s programs began calling soon thereafter, with Assistant Coaching opportunities forthcoming from Western Michigan (2007-09), Saint Louis University (’10-11), Akron (’12-14), SLU again (’14-16) and powerhouse Indiana University (’16-23), the last four of those as IU Associate Head Coach. Miami University of Ohio named Box its Head Coach in 2023 and he took the 19-12 RedHawks to the Women’s National Invitational Tourney in Year Two, followed by a ’26 NCAA Tournament berth for the program’s second time to cap a 28-7 campaign.
Their inclusion grows HOF membership ranks to 63 individuals and 15 teams, in addition to four track and field relay quartets, since charter members were inducted in 2000.
The RLC Sports Hall of Fame was established to recognize those individuals and/or teams who, through leadership, character and accomplishments, have made exceptional contributions to the honor and prestige of Rend Lake College, as well as Mt. Vernon Community College, in the field of athletics and who have continued to demonstrate the values learned through participation in intercollegiate athletics in their daily lives.
The Ron Smith-Rend Lake College connection was meant to be. The new Ina campus was ready for occupation by Fall 1970, just a few miles down the road from the Smith Family Farm on Lake Benton Road.
On the basketball court, he played for – and was inspired by – two of the best in Herrin and Waugh.
The Illinois State University graduate spent five years as Head Coach and Athletic Director at Coulterville High School before Herrin convinced him to reconnect with the BCHS Ranger program as his Assistant Coach. A 103-22 Ranger run followed, aided during that stretch by Point Guard Tim Wills.
Why break up a good thing? Smith continued enabling Herrin for eight more seasons on the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale bench, resulting in four Missouri Valley Conference titles and six straight post-season appearances – NCAA Tournament twice and four National Invitational Tournaments.
Herrin, the winningest mentor in Saluki history, told the Southern Illinoisan, “There is not a challenge too big for him. He knows what tough times are. When we started together at Southern Illinois back in 1985, we had lost all five starters from the year before. We had no money and were very short on talent. Ron had a big hand in recruiting and was a major reason why we turned it around.”
“Ron is a players‘ coach who gets along extremely well with student-athletes,” Herrin added when his good friend returned to SIUC as Associate Head Coach under Chris Lowery for the 2011-12 campaign. “He is very well organized, knows how to get things done and is very thorough.” “There is no challenge that is too big for him . . . Ron had a big hand in recruiting and was a major reason why we turned it around.”
“When I was 6, Rich Herrin came to my hometown. So growing up, and into early adulthood, he was the only coach I knew,” the honoree admitted.
And then along came Waugh and equal-but-different admiration. “Jim Waugh was such a big part of my life while I was at Rend Lake College. How you do things is shaped by your mentors and he was a tremendous example for me. He was the one who showed me it’s fun to come to work everyday . . . win, lose or draw.
“His personality,” Smith said at the time of his RLC Alumnus of the Year recognition, “was totally different from Herrin. His personality is much more like my personality than mine is like Herrin’s.”
A downtrodden Alton program convinced him to return to the prep ranks the next four years, leading to three straight winning seasons, the Redbirds’ first state tourney appearance in 42 years and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District 19 “Coach of Year” laurels.
A return to collegiate coaching followed . . . eight seasons at Northern Iowa University, the first three under Head Coach Sam Weaver beginning in 1998-99 followed by Head Coach Greg McDermott, and five seasons, 2005-06 to 2009-10, at Iowa State University with Head Coach Ben Jacobson. He also served as Director of Basketball Operations.
UNI earned three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, cracked the Associated Press Top 25 rankings for the first time and tied the Cyclone record with 23 wins.
Included on his resume at SIUC and UNI was serving as Sponsor for Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapters.
Waugh’s Warriors in 1972-73 claimed the Southern Illinois College Conference crown and produced the most wins, at 20-6, in the program’s first 22 seasons, including the predecessor Mt. Vernon Community College Warriors. Smith was one of eight players who would go on to coaching positions at various levels.
Uniquely, seven other members from that contingent likewise are in the RLC Sports Hall in Fame – Assistant Coach Mike McClure (inducted in 2000 / Head Coach of the ’73-74 Baseball Team inducted in 2016); Head Coach Waugh (’01); Randy Lemay (’06 / Baseball Team ’16); Brad Weathers (’13); Ronnie Henderson (’18); John Kretz (Baseball Team ’16), and Lee “Sonny” Wyatt (’21).
Entrepreneur Smith’s Florida-based USA Sports Tours & Events has provided all-star competition for men and women in basketball, volleyball and soccer – primarily to Brazil and Bahamas, as well as Italy – since 2010.
He is the proud father of three children – Tim, Matt and Brooke – with 10 grandchildren.
In 2011, Rend Lake College was honored to name Smith its Alumnus of the Year.
Box considers Rend Lake College his “lifeline,” which might not be that much of an exaggeration considering his circumstances.
After graduation from Cairo Sr. High School, he attended his in-district community college with the intention of playing basketball. But the necessity to work part-time and his studies resulted in him practicing only when he could find time. Not the road to success on the court. Nevertheless, it cost him a year of eligibility.
“I knew I should be playing. I needed to play,” he would come to realize. And with former Pilots teammates Bryant Lowe (future RLC Hall of Fame inductee, 2002) and Dwight Russell playing up the road for Rend Lake College, he made the decision to contact Warrior mentor Tim Wills. The recipient was still looking for his first winning campaign heading into Season Three.
“To be honest, I didn’t recruit Box,” according to Wills. “He called to ask if he could come to RLC to play on the basketball team as a walk-on.” Apparently the response was the proper one.
“Rend Lake College was my lifeline,” acknowledged the man recognized as the 2023 Alumnus of the Year. “If Coach Wills didn’t answer the phone, I never would have played (college) basketball . . . probably never would have continued my college career,” he told RLC Director of Marketing and Communications Nathan Wheeler. “It would have been very difficult for me to achieve much, had he simply not picked up the phone when I called.”
After just a few months, Wills awarded him a scholarship.
“It became evident early on he had talent,” Wills recalled. “He became our starting point guard on one of the most successful teams in the history of Rend Lake College Men’s Basketball. He was an integral part of a team that won 20 games and ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation.”
Box averaged 7.8 points per game for the 20-12 Warriors thanks to a team-best .425 accuracy from 3-point range and 5.0 assists (first), as well as 45 steals (second). He led the team with 15 points in a career-ending Region XXIV Tournament loss.
He would go on to earn his four-year degree from Southeast Missouri State University before returning home to assist with his former Cairo School District programs.
Back to Rend Lake College, where his full-time position was STARS (Student Transfer and Retention Support) Counselor from 2004-08 when he wasn’t in the gym.
“As great a coach as he is, he truly is an even better human being,” Wills says of his good friend. “He was one of the most well-liked and respected people on our campus during his tenure as a player, coach and employee at RLC.”
On a student-athlete questionnaire Box filled out more than 30 years ago, he indicated the belief one of his greatest strengths was his leadership skills. Check! A goal of his? “To win a national title and finally gain respect that I feel I deserve as a ballplayer.” Make that as a coach!
In just three seasons atop the Lady Warrior program, his 19-12, 24-8 and 21-21 credentials make him the third winningest mentor after 50 seasons.
Similarly, his contributions at Indiana University, especially, did not go unnoticed. IU won 20 or more games all seven seasons. Eleven Hoosier guards under his tutelage earned a total of 16 All-Big Ten Conference honors, headed by four-time honoree and WNBA First Round pick Grace Berger of the Indiana Fever. The program claimed the Big Ten Conference crown, the school’s first in 40 years, during a 28-win campaign in ’22-23, advanced to the Elite Eight in ’20-21 after upsetting No. 1 North Carolina State and captured the WNIT Championship in 2018.
Rebuilding of a Miami RedHawks program that had experienced four straight losing seasons took Box just one campaign. A 19-12 record overall in Year Two produced an invite to the women’s National Invitational Tournament and provided the impetus to a share of the regular-season MAC title this past winter and NCAA Tournament berth at 16-2, 28-7 overall, thanks in part to a 14-0 slate at home.
Glenn and wife Leah are the proud parents of Darius, William, Auna and Bella.
In 2023, Rend Lake College was honored to name Box its Alumnus of the Year.
Information on attending the Hall of Fame Ceremony
25th Rend Lake College Sports Hall of Fame Induction
5:30 PM Saturday, April 25
Banterra Sports Complex
Rend Lake College
468 N Ken Gray Parkway
Ina, IL 62846
RLC Athletics
Email: oxford@rlc.edu
Phone: (618) 437-5321 Ext. 1250