Ten Questions with Brian Smith, Oleta Coach Lines

HISTORIC TRIANGLE — “Ten Questions with” is a series that allows readers to get to know local business leaders, volunteers and community members in the Historic Triangle.

This week, meet Brian Smith, Sr. Director of Operations for Oleta Coach Lines. (Driver for William & Mary Athletics – including the recent CAA Championship Women’s Basketball Team)

What is your job title and description?

I am the Director of Operations for Oleta Coach Lines.

How did you start working with William & Mary Athletics?

Oleta is the primary transportation provider for William & Mary. My dad, Howard W. Smith Sr., started Oleta (my mother’s name) to provide transportation for the Athletic Department in 1986. He felt as though he could offer a better service than what he knew the college was receiving at the time from other providers.

We provide a service that can’t be duplicated; in turn, William & Mary treats our drivers as part of the team.

Are there any Tribe travel traditions you can share?

The team I currently drive for the most — have been with the most — is the William and Mary Women’s Soccer team. They love karaoke, so they make the freshman, and any other newcomers, sing on the bus in front of everyone, which is always painfully fun to hear and listen to.

Favorite Tribe Athletics moment?

Watching the Women’s Basketball team win the CAA Championship this year was pretty special!

(See video of Smith bringing the team back to W&M after winning the championship on the William & Mary Tribe Athletics Facebook page)

What is something about your job most people wouldn’t know about?

Just how much we do for these athletes. While every team is different, we try to make them all feel at home.

William & Mary is our top client. What started with athletics has now expanded to various departments within the university reaching out to us for transportation services — a testament to the strong relationship forged between my dad and the university.

In 2024, Oleta Coach Lines received a Griffy Award presented by William & Mary Athletics for Behind the Scenes Supporter. Winning the award for being the Best Behind the Scenes Supporter of the athletes is a true honor, and seeing my father receive it was a proud moment for our family. It proves the deep connection we have with these teams — we are not just a transportation vendor, but we are there with them every step of the way, cheering and supporting them in their victories and setbacks.

In my position success is completing a semester without any travel mishaps due to the buses or the drivers. After each semester, my brothers and I say, “Thank God for another success semester.”

How long have you lived or worked in the Historic Triangle?

Most of my life, I am 45. I spent four years in the United States Marine Corps, the other 41, I’ve been in Williamsburg.

What is your favorite part of being in the Historic Triangle?

My family is here, my life, it’s all I have ever known.

What do you do for downtime/to relax?

I am a photographer, so I enjoy taking photos of the teams we drive for as well as historical landscapes and share them with the world through social media.

What is the next step in your journey?

Just continue to provide service for William and Mary. Oleta is a small family-operated company, but there is no doubt we wouldn’t be where we are today without William & Mary, and the people who have been a part of this great institution.

Do you want to learn more about your community and the people who live and work in the Historic Triangle? We are looking for people with interesting jobs, super volunteers, or community leaders to showcase. Reach out to let us know if you (or someone you know) would like to be considered for Ten Questions.