Colorado University Athletics
Football
vs
Arizona
Nov 1 (Sat)
5:00 p.m.
Mark Smith
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Inside Linebackers
- Phone:
- 303-492-9787
Mark Smith is in his second year as Colorado’s inside linebackers coach, officially joining Karl Dorrell’s staff on February 5, 2021.
Smith, 44, came to Boulder from Long Island University (Brooklyn, N.Y.), where he was named the school’s defensive coordinator in July 2020. However, the Sharks did not play a fall schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic (an FCS member, the Northeast Conference deferred to an abbreviated 4-game schedule in the spring).
He joined LIU from the University of Arkansas, where he was the defensive backs coach and the Razorbacks’ recruiting coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 seasons under head coach Chad Morris. He coached several players that matriculated into the National Football League, including Kamren Curl, a seventh round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft by Washington. He also tutored two freshmen backs, Montaric Brown and Jacques McClellion, who would emerge as standout players in the SEC.
As a recruiter, Smith helped land three four-star defensive backs, cornerbacks Greg Brooks and Devin Bush and safety Jalen Catalon. In his first full recruiting cycle as the coordinator, Smith and the Arkansas staff achieved the highest ranked recruiting class (23rd) in program history.
Prior to Arkansas, Smith spent three seasons at Southern Methodist University, where he was an offensive assistant in 2015 and 2016 and a defensive assistant in 2017, all while serving as the Mustang’s director of recruiting. He was a part of the staff at SMU that was finally able to overhaul the program from years of frustration and going from a 1-11 squad in 2014 to a bowl-eligible team in three seasons.
He joined SMU from the Texas state high school ranks, as he spent six years at L.D. Bell in the Fort Worth suburb of Hurst (2009-14), the last four seasons as its head coach, in which it earned playoff berths for three straight years. Smith also served as an assistant for four years each at Irving MacArthur (2000-03) and Colleyville Heritage (2004-07) high schools in Texas. He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Texas High School Coaches Association and served as the President of the North Texas Football Coaches Association.
He was also a defensive quality control coach for the University of Oklahoma for the 2008-09 academic year, working particularly with the linebackers. It was at OU where he first worked alongside CU defensive coordinate Chris Wilson. The Sooners were Big 12 champions that year and went on to play in the BCS Championship game (losing to Florida, 24-14).
Smith earned his bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science from Hardin-Simmons University in 2000, where he lettered three years (1997-99) for the Cowboys in football, earning first-team All-American honors as a senior in addition to being named first-team All-American Southwest Conference honors three times. He earned his master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2004.
He was born January 27, 1978 in Abilene, Texas, and graduated from Abilene’s Cooper High School, where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball. His hobbies include fishing. He is married to the former Michelle Gibbs, and the couple has three children, daughters Makenna (16) and Mailey Kay (3) and son Micah (12).
AT-A-GLANCE—He has coached in 73 college games as a full-time coach (37 at SMU, 24 at Arkansas, 12 at Colorado). He has coached in one bowl game (2017 Frisco).
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Smith, 44, came to Boulder from Long Island University (Brooklyn, N.Y.), where he was named the school’s defensive coordinator in July 2020. However, the Sharks did not play a fall schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic (an FCS member, the Northeast Conference deferred to an abbreviated 4-game schedule in the spring).
He joined LIU from the University of Arkansas, where he was the defensive backs coach and the Razorbacks’ recruiting coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 seasons under head coach Chad Morris. He coached several players that matriculated into the National Football League, including Kamren Curl, a seventh round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft by Washington. He also tutored two freshmen backs, Montaric Brown and Jacques McClellion, who would emerge as standout players in the SEC.
As a recruiter, Smith helped land three four-star defensive backs, cornerbacks Greg Brooks and Devin Bush and safety Jalen Catalon. In his first full recruiting cycle as the coordinator, Smith and the Arkansas staff achieved the highest ranked recruiting class (23rd) in program history.
Prior to Arkansas, Smith spent three seasons at Southern Methodist University, where he was an offensive assistant in 2015 and 2016 and a defensive assistant in 2017, all while serving as the Mustang’s director of recruiting. He was a part of the staff at SMU that was finally able to overhaul the program from years of frustration and going from a 1-11 squad in 2014 to a bowl-eligible team in three seasons.
He joined SMU from the Texas state high school ranks, as he spent six years at L.D. Bell in the Fort Worth suburb of Hurst (2009-14), the last four seasons as its head coach, in which it earned playoff berths for three straight years. Smith also served as an assistant for four years each at Irving MacArthur (2000-03) and Colleyville Heritage (2004-07) high schools in Texas. He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Texas High School Coaches Association and served as the President of the North Texas Football Coaches Association.
He was also a defensive quality control coach for the University of Oklahoma for the 2008-09 academic year, working particularly with the linebackers. It was at OU where he first worked alongside CU defensive coordinate Chris Wilson. The Sooners were Big 12 champions that year and went on to play in the BCS Championship game (losing to Florida, 24-14).
Smith earned his bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science from Hardin-Simmons University in 2000, where he lettered three years (1997-99) for the Cowboys in football, earning first-team All-American honors as a senior in addition to being named first-team All-American Southwest Conference honors three times. He earned his master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2004.
He was born January 27, 1978 in Abilene, Texas, and graduated from Abilene’s Cooper High School, where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball. His hobbies include fishing. He is married to the former Michelle Gibbs, and the couple has three children, daughters Makenna (16) and Mailey Kay (3) and son Micah (12).
AT-A-GLANCE—He has coached in 73 college games as a full-time coach (37 at SMU, 24 at Arkansas, 12 at Colorado). He has coached in one bowl game (2017 Frisco).
COACHING EXPERIENCE
|
2000-03 |
Heritage High School |
Assistant Coach |
|
2004-07 |
MacArthur High School |
Defensive Coordinator |
|
2008 |
Oklahoma |
Quality Control / Defense |
|
2009-10 |
L.D. Bell High School |
Defensive Coordinator |
|
2011-14 |
L.D. Bell High School |
Head Coach |
|
2015 |
SMU |
Offensive Assistant |
|
2016-17 |
SMU |
Defensive Assistant |
|
2018-19 |
Arkansas |
Defensive Backs / Recruiting Coordinator |
|
2020 |
Long Island University |
Defensive Coordinator |
|
2021- |
Colorado |
Inside Linebackers |
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