Audit: Tennis coach took $95,000 from taxpayers

NASHVILLE — A man who worked for Nashville’s Centennial Sportsplex Tennis Center and won a prestigious award this year from an international organization allegedly stole $95,310 from city taxpayers, according to a Comptroller’s audit released Tuesday.

A Davidson County grand jury indicted Blain Smith, the Sportsplex’s former special programs coordinator, this week on one count of theft over $60,000 and one count of official misconduct, according to a statement from Comptroller spokesman John Dunn.

Smith, according to state Comptroller Justin Wilson’s audit, is accused of stealing at least 79 checks made payable to the Sportsplex and depositing them in his personal bank account.

Sportsplex spokeswoman Emily Lamb told Tennessee Watchdog on Tuesday that she had no comment on the matter because a criminal investigation is pending.

Officials with the South Carolina-based Professional Tennis Registry named Smith their Tennessee Member of the Year for 2014.

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