3 > 2, that was Karl Smesko’s no-frills creed when he landed his first head job at 27 at Walsh University, a D-II school in North Canton, Ohio. Cut to today, he is among the front-runners to win the 2025 Coach of the Year with the same philosophy. Under former head coach Tanisha Wright in 2024, Atlanta averaged just 19 three-point shots per game, which put them ninth out of twelve teams.

In 2025 under Smesko, Atlanta has averaged 28.4 three-point shots per game, second-most in the WNBA, which has paid back in dividends. Smesko was scouted by the Atlanta Dream to turn their middle-of-the-pack team into a contender, and he has done that quicker than anyone. Let’s understand more about the “mad scientist” who is obsessed with basketball and the inefficiencies in coaches’ decisions.

Where was Karl Smesko born? What’s his nationality?

Karl Smesko was born on October 2, 1970, and is a native of Bath Township in Ohio.  Naturally, Smesko is American. Smesko played point guard for Revere High School. As a player, Smesko was considered to be the brain of the team rather than being known for his athleticism. Smesko graduated in 1989 after playing basketball and football for the Minutemen, making the All-Suburban basketball team as a senior.  Smesko played well enough to draw Oakland interest but chose the Kent State path instead. His exploits as a player and coach made him enough to be inducted into the Revere Hall of Fame in 2022.

While Smesko doesn’t live in Bath anymore, it’s a place of great significance as far as basketball is concerned. Smesko’s parents still live in Bath, a township with about 10,000 residents northwest of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James‘ hometown of Akron and about 30 minutes from Cleveland. However, despite being close to the legend, the coach hasn’t had any close interaction with the star. 

“We never played at the park or anything,” said Smesko. “I don’t know that (my parents have) ever seen him. They haven’t mentioned it to me.”

Talking about his parents, his coaching pedigree is passed on by his father, Albert, who is a former high school boys’ basketball coach in Richfield, Ohio, and a member of the Greater Akron Coaches Association Hall of Fame. His brother, Kyle, was the offensive line coach at Thiel College; now he is the offensive coordinator/QB coach at U.S. Coast Guard Academy

What is Karl Smesko’s Ethnicity and Religion?

Karl Smesko’s ethnicity and religion have not been publicly disclosed. A rare surname like “Smesko” points to an Eastern European, likely Slavic, origin and potentially Slovak, given its rarity in the U.S. Also, many Eastern European immigrants clustered in Midwestern states such as Ohio and Illinois in the early 20th century, according to the Ohio Institute for Communities of Color website. There is no specific information on his mother’s heritage. 

Smesko has publicly denounced racism and encouraged concrete support for anti-racist causes as a coach who has had multiple players of African American descent. In 2020, he wrote, “I am ALL IN against racism,” urging donations to organizations such as Black Girls Code, the Equal Justice Initiative, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, underscoring a stance that emphasizes action over symbolism.

Smesko continues excelling with the Atlanta Dream, and going forward, the team will only become better. In just a year, they seem to have inculcated Smesko’s philosophies quite well. However, he is bound to face challenges as a young and upcoming coach. His  26 seasons as a Head Coach at the collegiate level, while building the FGCU program from the ground up, have prepared him for the toughest stage. He moved on to the next step with a 672-137, which is the eighth-best win percentage among the active D1 coaches. His inquisitive mind will likely keep him among the best in the league.