Shenandoah University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Doug Zipp announced Tuesday that Matt Smith has been selected as the university’s new head men’s soccer coach.
Smith, the winningest coach in both Johns Hopkins University and Centennial Conference history, comes to Shenandoah after leading the men’s soccer program at Alfred (N.Y.) University for the past three seasons.
In those three years at the helm of the Saxons program, Smith led the Empire 8 squad into the post-season in all three campaigns and saw AU earn three straight NSCAA national academic awards. The 2014 ECAC Tournament appearance for Alfred was the program’s first in 24 years and Smith was named as the Empire 8 Conference Coach of the Year.
Smith, who has a 266-66-27 career record with eight conference championships and 15 post-season appearances (nine NCAA, six ECAC), reached one NCAA championship game as the Johns Hopkins University head coach from 1993 through 2008.
His 240 overall wins and 117 league wins at Hopkins are both the most in both school and Centennial Conference history.
Following his stint at JHU, Smith was the US Academy Director for Crystal Palace FC from 2008-11 and the Special Projects Director for the Soccer Association of Columbia (Md.) from 2012-13.
“We had a number of outstanding candidates,” Zipp said. “The (search) committee did an excellent job of identifying candidates with the traits we were looking for – a coach that was committed to the Division III ideal that had experienced success during their career.
“Matt fit those criteria perfectly. I have complete confidence that he will bring student-athletes into our men’s soccer program that will be successful on the field, in the classroom and in the community.”
The Columbia, Maryland native also was a professional player for the Maryland Bays of the APSL following his graduation from Towson University in 1988.
In 2014, Smith was inducted into the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame.
“I am very excited to take over this program,” Smith said. “I feel that Shenandoah has a great deal of potential and I cannot wait to start working with the student-athletes to begin to realize that potential.”
Smith, who is the fifth head coach in the history of the men’s soccer program, starts his full-time duties immediately.
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