Pete Smith, the revered coach and architect of Kalaheo High School's boys basketball dynasty, died yesterday morning at Castle Medical Center.

He was 52.

Smith, who led the Mustangs to the state tournament in each of his 18 seasons as coach from 1983 to 1988 and 1990 to 2003, had been in poor health since suffering stroke-like effects after colon cancer surgery on Oct. 31, 2003. He was admitted to Castle last week with pneumonia and died yesterday at about 7 a.m., according to Kalaheo athletic director Lewis Fuddy.

"Pete Smith set the standard for the rest of us to follow as far as coaching and playing," said O'ahu Interscholastic Association executive secretary Dwight Toyama, a former Kaimuki football coach and athletic director. "He was a class act and very well-respected among his peers — not just other coaches, but all the athletic directors and everyone else in the athletic community."

Colleagues and former opponents had the highest praise yesterday for Smith, not just for his hugely successful program, but also for his low-key and warm personality, which was reflected in his teams.

"Pete's teams were always very competitive and they always played with class," said Glenn Young, a former 'Iolani head coach who has been director of the nationally renown 'Iolani Prep Classic basketball tournament since 1983. "He did a great job with his players and he taught them humility in victory and pride even in defeat. We had them in our tournament many, many times, and we were always happy to have them represent the OIA and Hawai'i.

"The main reason we invited Kalaheo is because of Pete Smith, and that's the bottom line."

There are no known official records for high school basketball here, but Smith no doubt ranks as one of Hawai'i's winningest coaches. He guided the Mustangs to 14 OIA championships and state titles in 1985, 1995 and 2001.

They advanced to the state semifinals a staggering 14 times, and from 1994 to 2000 Kalaheo put together an amazing 76-game win streak in league games.

"There was a target on their back for everybody in the OIA," said Roosevelt coach John Chung, who is entering his 18th year at the Rough Riders' helm. "I know every year when the schedules came out, we circled the date we were going to play Kalaheo. They had talent, but Pete used the talent well. He had a great system, and he had kids who bought into the system and believed in it year-in, year-out."

Jon Garcia coached against Smith in many state tournaments during his 22 seasons at Baldwin, but never beat the Mustangs.

"When you think of Pete Smith, you think of Hawai'i basketball at its highest level," Garcia said. "His teams were so well-coached, but they also were good people who always showed good sportsmanship. We already feel his loss; it's one of those tragic things."

Smith moved to Hawai'i from California in the fifth grade and was named The Advertiser's State Player of the Year in 1972 after leading Kailua to the state championship.

He went on to play for Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash., and then Lewis-Clark (Idaho) State, where he earned a bachelor's degree in education.

After teaching and coaching in Eastern Washington for a few years, he and wife Stacey — high school sweethearts since their junior year at Kailua — returned to Hawai'i in 1980.

Smith worked as a counselor at Olomana boys home and became an assistant coach to Merv Lopes at Chaminade University, which upset No. 1-ranked Virginia in 1982.

In 1983, Smith took over the Kalaheo boys program and promptly led the Mustangs to the OIA title his first season. In 1985, they won the first of three state titles.

He left in 1988 to become Chaminade's head coach, but returned to Kalaheo in 1990 and stayed on through the 2003 season, when he stepped down in anticipation of taking over for retiring Mustangs athletic director Lee Cashman.

But after being stricken in October of that year, he suffered brain damage, a loss of motor skills and some speech.

"The last couple years have been really rough," said Chico Furtado, Smith's longtime friend and assistant who took over as Kalaheo's head coach. "He taught me so much, so not being able to interact with him the same way ... it's just been tough."

Cashman hired Smith in 1983 and said his impact on the school went far beyond basketball.

"There's been much said about what a great coach he was, and he did have a brilliant career," Cashman said. "But more than that, as much as he achieved, the thing I'll remember most about Pete is what a great person he was. He influenced hundreds and hundreds of basketball players, but there were just as many other students that he helped as a teacher, counselor and administrator. He was an outstanding person and good friend who brought out the best in people."

Two of Smith's three sons, Josh and Alika, were all-stars under him at Kalaheo, and Alika went on to become a standout guard and assistant coach at the University of Hawai'i. Smith's youngest son, Kea, played for Kamehameha and is now a freshman at UH, where he serves as manager for the men's basketball team.

Besides coaching Kalaheo, Smith also started the Hawai'i Select basketball program, which has taken top players from around the state to Las Vegas every summer to compete in all-star tournaments since 1990. He also ran summer camps and leagues and the annual Kalaheo Classic preseason tournament, which is now named after him.

"He just inspired so many, and I'm one of them," said Ikaika Alama-Francis, a former All-State forward who helped Kalaheo win the 2001 state title and now plays defensive line for the University of Hawai'i football team. "It's a sad day."

Furtado, who also coached Kalaheo's girls program for 10 years, said Smith's loss is "one of the sad things" to happen to Hawai'i high school sports.

"It's very, very sad to have a man of that caliber leave us so early," Furtado said. "He was always into making sure our players were good citizens for the school and for the community. He would always talk to the players about their grades, and on Sundays we wouldn't practice so he'd tell them they should do something for their parents — wash their cars or mow the lawn. I mean, everything he did was for other people.

"He was just a dynamite man who was way ahead of his time, and left us way too soon."

Smith is survived by wife, Stacey, three sons — Josh, Alika and Kea — mother, Betty, and five grandsons.

Services are pending.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.