Craig Smith named USU men’s basketball head coach
Craig Smith has been named the new head coach of the Utah State men’s basketball team. The university officially announced the hiring Monday morning, while announcing a formal press conference to introduce Smith coming on Tuesday.
The hiring was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.
South Dakota’s Craig Smith is done to Utah State, sources told ESPN.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) March 25, 2018
Welcome to the new era!
Craig Smith named the 19th head coach of Utah State Men’s Basketball. #AggiesAllTheWay
RELEASE ➡➡ https://t.co/znCtCB8Mwd pic.twitter.com/rHvD7oG6yV
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 26, 2018
Smith comes to Utah State after most recently coaching at University of South Dakota. He will assume head coaching duties immediately, filling the vacancy left by three-year head coach Tim Duryea, who was fired from the position on March 11.
“Our family and I are pumped to join Utah State University and the community of Logan,” Smith said. “Utah State men’s basketball has tremendous leadership from the top in President (Noelle) Cockett, athletic director John Hartwell, and all the way down. It was easy to see and feel that our visions were aligned when it comes to running a successful basketball program.”
During his four-year tenure at South Dakota, Smith led the Coyotes to a 79-55 overall record along with a Summit League regular-season championship in the 2016-17 season and a runner-up finish in 2017-18.
Smith was named the 2017 Summit League Coach of the Year after taking the Coyotes from a 14-18 record the prior season to a 22-12 finish with a 12-4 record in Summit League play.
Before coaching at South Dakota, Smith spent 2012-14 as an assistant at Nebraska, helping the Cornhuskers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 seasons in 2014.
He spent the 2007-08 as the Director of Basketball Operations at Colorado State before being named as an assistant coach for the Rams, where he coached from 2008-2012. There, he helped take a 7-25 Colorado State team eventually to a 20-12 record and an NCAA Tournament second round appearance in 2012.
Smith’s head coaching career began at NAIA Division II program Mayville State. Inheriting a team which went 17-14 in his first season as head coach, he then coached the Comets to a 55-15 record over the next two seasons, and took the team to the NAIA quarterfinals in 2006 and the national championship game in 2007. Smith was named the 2007 NAIA Division II Coach of the Year.
“When we started this process two weeks ago we identified several characteristics we wanted in our next head coach – high energy, high character, a proven recruiter and proven player development, to name a few,” said USU Athletics Director John Hartwell. “We believe we have not only checked all the boxes, but that we have hit a home run with the hiring of Craig Smith. Craig has been a winner at every level.
Utah State is coming off of a 17-17 campaign in 2017-18 including its first ever semi-finals appearance in the Mountain West Tournament. During three years with Duryea at the helm, the Aggies posted an overall record of 47-49.
Smith will be the 19th head coach since the program’s inception in 1902. He will be just the fourth head coach of the Aggies in the past 24 years.
A native of Stephen, Minn., Smith is a graduate of University of North Dakota. He is married to Darcy Smith and is the father to three sons and a daughter.
A formal press conference to introduce Smith as head coach will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Wayne Estes Center. The event will be free and open to the public.