Longtime Blue Springs South Boy’s Basketball Head Coach Jimmy Cain is stepping down from his position after 15 years.

Josh Smith, former JV Head Coach and Varsity Assistant for the Jaguars, will assume the role of head coach next season.

Cain, who led the Jaguars to a 2015 Class 5 State Championship, talked about his reasoning for stepping down.

“It wasn’t one or two things in particular but rather a multitude of things that led to me to this decision. We have a great coaching staff, and Coach Smith is more than ready to take over a head coaching position. We have great young talent that will lead us to success in the future which factored into my decision. I never wanted to leave the program in a bad position for the future or leave on a bad note, so I feel like the timing is perfect. The good thing is that I’m not going anywhere, so I’m looking forward to helping out as much as Coach Smith needs me to,” Cain said.

While Cain will be stepping down from his head coaching position, he will still remain at the school as an employee.

Senior guard D.J. Frost played four years for the Jaguar Basketball program discussed his feelings when he first learned about Cain’s decision.

“At first, I was kind of shocked but at the same time I was extremely happy for him. I knew that when he decided to step down, he was taking everyone’s best interest into account and leaving on a high note,” Frost said.

Cain talked about his best memory as a head coach after 15 years on the job.

“Obviously the State championship game stands out and is the easiest answer, but every year there is a moment where kids face adversity. I love seeing them face that adversity and overcome it. Every year, we seemed to have a few big losses but our guys have always come back from those losses and had even bigger wins,” Cain said.

Senior guard Jack Gillig, who played a year under both Smith and Cain during his high school career, talked about characteristics that will make Smith a successful head coach at the varsity level.

“He has a lot of the same characteristics that Coach Cain does. Coach Smith is extremely passionate about basketball, gritty, and builds strong relationships with his players. He’s coached under Cain so he has learned from one of the best,” Gillig said.

Cain discussed the few tips of advice that he has for Coach Smith as he takes over a storied high school program.

“The biggest thing a new coach can do is just to just be yourself. When I was younger, I had great mentors that also were great coaches. For my first three or four years as a head coach, I was trying to be someone I wasn’t. You just have to be yourself and coach with your style and not someone else’s,” Cain said.