Masters Academy International names Jason Smith as head basketball coach

After a legendary stint at Brewster Academy, Jason Smith is the new basketball head coach at MAI. (Courtesy/MAI)

Masters Academy International – the new sports academy opening in Stow, Mass. later this year – has hired Jason Smith to be the head basketball coach of its scholastic team, the school announced on Tuesday.

Smith will leave Brewster Academy after a legendary 26-year run in which he built one of the best prep programs in the country, taking a unique opportunity to usher in a new era at MAI. He’ll join forces with John Carroll, who built Northfield Mount Hermon into a national prep powerhouse before helping turn Newman as a national prep power over the last four years as the program’s advisor. Carroll was hired as MAI’s sporting director and director of basketball.

“The commitment to building a culture that brings together academics, well-being, basketball development and elite competition is unlike anything seen in this country,” Smith said in a press release. “At MAI, our administration, faculty and basketball staff will work collaboratively to provide every athlete the opportunity to grow, compete and reach their maximum potential.”

At Brewster, Smith won seven national prep championships and amassed more than 700 career victories. He’s developed more than 200 NCAA Division 1 players and 25 of his players have reached the NBA.

MAI has aspirations to be the “IMG of the North,” its founder Peter Masters said in a story published by The Boston Globe last August, referring to IMG Academy in Florida. The school hopes it will be a new destination for top athletes who are looking for a different prep school experience with a unique focus on their sport. The school is expected to open this fall.

“Jason Smith has built one of the most respected basketball programs in the country,” Masters said. “Seven national championships, more than 700 wins and the development of dozens of NBA players are a testament to the hard work and dedication he brings every day. More importantly, Jason has consistently prepared young men to succeed both on the court and beyond it, which makes him a perfect fit for what we are building at Masters Academy.”