Watch: Stephen A. Smith recalls ripping his coach in college newspaper

Even back in his college days, Stephen A. Smith was ruffling feathers with his hot takes.

During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday night, Smith told the host that while attending Winston-Salem State University on a basketball scholarship in the 1980s, he criticized his coach, Clarence "Big House" Gaines, in the school newspaper.

"My coach was struggling a little bit. I wrote that he needed to retire while I was on the basketball team on a basketball scholarship for the school newspaper - and showed up to practice the next day," Smith said. "I did it, yes, I did it."

Smith said the chancellor wanted to expel him, but Gaines came to his defense, telling the school to "leave him alone."