Clarksville, TN – On Tuesday, December 19th, 2023, Clarksville Academy celebrated the induction of five remarkable individuals into their Athletics Hall of Fame, expanding the membership to twelve.
This year’s group includes two coaches, the first to be inducted, and three players. Coach Dan Burden, Coach Wade Smith, Johnny Jackson, Malcolm Smith, and Martin Smith are the latest to achieve this honor.
Coach Dan Burden taught for over fifty years before retiring in 2018. In his thirty-plus years at Clarksville Academy, he coached various sports, including girls’ basketball, tennis, and football. The win-loss record during those times is not what his athletes remember but how he made them feel and the life lessons he taught them.
He is known throughout Montgomery County for his prowess in coaching the Math Team and the numerous state champions he coached. His unique teaching and coaching styles are what students recall when sharing about Coach Burden. He always met the students or athletes where they were and worked to help them achieve their goals.
Dan joins his daughter, Amanda, as the first father-daughter duo in the Hall of Fame. Amanda shares, “Dad spent over fifty years teaching and coaching the young leaders of Clarksville. I can’t think of a more deserving coach or man to receive this honor. It is truly surreal for us to both be part of the Hall of Fame and can share this legacy together.”
Coach Wade Smith began his career at Clarksville Academy in the early 2000s. Chuck Edlin, Class of 2008, and Devin Hightower, Class of 2009, had this to say during the ceremony, “Coach Wade was a selfless coach, always preferring for his teams and players to get THEIR recognition and awards, so I am extremely glad tonight is about honoring him and his legacy in Clarksville Academy athletics. For the better part of two decades, you would be hard-pressed to find a more influential Coach and supporter of Clarksville Academy athletics than Coach Wade and Miss Patsy.”
During his twenty years, Coach Smith led students on the court/field and through his work with FCA. He spent many years as Varsity Head Baseball Coach, Assistant Baseball Coach, Varsity Girls Basketball Coach, Middle School Boys Basketball Coach, and Varsity Boys Assistant Basketball Coach. He and his wife Patsy were sponsors for FCA for over twenty years. Their love and dedication for Clarksville Academy was evident in the outpouring of passion and support they showed their players.
Coach Wade & Ms. Patsy were instrumental in bringing the Sports Complex to life. Their hard work, dedication to fundraising, drive to see it become a reality and desire to see their son Wesley’s dream of a baseball field led to the property opening in 2007. The Wes Smith baseball field now stands in memory of Wesley and is a point of pride for the Sports Complex.
Johnny Jackson is a well-known name in the Clarksville area athletic circles. He graduated from CA in 1989 as a multi-sport athlete, breaking school records in many sports. In basketball, he was a 2,000-point scorer and the school record holder for most points in a game at 48, most assists at 17, and most rebounds at 24. He held the school record for batting average in a season at .636 in baseball and stole bases with 24.
In 1996, he returned home to CA to begin his coaching career, coaching basketball, football, and golf. He also served as athletic director from 2001 to 2002. Johnny went on to coach at Cheatham County High School and, eventually, Rossview High, where he celebrated his four hundredth career win last season.
Coach Jackson is a special kind of coach who can take a team and teach them how to be victorious, as seen by his records at all the schools he has coached. Brian Ayers, fellow Hall of Fame member and longtime teammate, stated, “If asked if I wanted to repeat my time playing in college or my time playing in high school, which would I choose? I’d choose to return to play with Johnny any day.”
Malcolm & Martin Smith graduated from CA in 2011. They were beloved members of the CA community and the Clarksville community. Fans would pack the stands to watch the two in action on the hardwood. Josh Smith, former coach of the twins, recalls, “Malcolm and Martin didn’t act like they were superstars; they embraced the student body. They knew the names of the little kids in our school, they asked teammates and classmates what was going on in our chess club and choir performances…they were just one of the guys. That’s why the student body jumped on it; they embraced that.”
Malcolm ended his Upper School career with 2,428 points and an 18.3 per-game average. He had 1,309 rebounds for a 9.9 average, two steals per game, and 2.1 blocks per game. He was named Mr. Basketball in both 2010 and 2011. Martin averaged 1,739 points with a 13.1 per game average. He had 1,157 rebounds for an 8.7 average, with 2.1 steals per game, 2.4 blocks per game, and 2.7 assists per game. Martin was a Mr. Basketball finalist in 2011. They both received multiple accolades throughout their CA careers.
During their high school career, Clarksville Academy won 93% of their games with 114 wins versus 19 losses with 3 district championships, four regional appearances, three regional championships, three sectional appearances, two state tournament appearances, and one state championship. Upon graduation, the twins attended Lipscomb University, where they played basketball all four years. Despite now residing in London and Spain, respectively, playing professional basketball. The twins’ legacy lives on as they join the prestigious ranks of Clarksville Academy’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
Tuesday night was an excellent night for Clarksville Academy Athletics. To find out more about CA, visit clarksvilleacademy.com.
