When the Coupeville High School boys basketball team gathered around their coach at the beginning of the first practice Monday, Nov. 14, the players heard a new voice.

Anthony Smith is the new Wolves coach, taking over for Randy King, who retired after 20 years at the helm.

Smith, a native of Sioux City, Iowa, played basketball at the University of South Dakota then joined the Navy, which brought him to Washington.

He retired in 1995 and attended Whatcom Community College and then Western Washington University.

Before taking the Coupeville job, Smith was an assistant coach at Ferndale High School for seven years and then at Whatcom CC for four.

He targeted the Coupeville job because it gave him the opportunity to be a head coach.

Smith said the Wolves “are going to play fast with an emphasis on the defensive end.”

“We will be aggressive at both ends,” he said, “but everything will be centered around good defense.”