Matthew Smith is now entering his 3rd year with Alvernia University. Smith was hired as the Inside Linebackers coach in January of 2019 and coached the inside linebackers for the 2019 season. Smith has since moved to coaching the Defensive Line and is the Co-Recruiting Coordinator, mostly dealing with social media and camp coordinating. He recruits the counties of Chester and Delaware in PA, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Howard, and Anne Arundel Counties in MD, Burlington, and Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties in NJ, as well as Southern Florida.
Prior to Alvernia University, Smith coached the Linebackers at Independence Community College in 2018, and the Defensive Ends in 2017. Independence Community College is located in Independence, Kansas and is famous for being featured on seasons 3 and 4 of Netflix’s Last Chance U, which occurred while Smith was there from 2017-2018. Smith personally coached Kuony Deng (University of California), Jermaine Johnson (University of Georgia), Jamar Montgomery (University of Colorado), Kelvin Johnson (University of Southern Alabama) and many more high profile athletes during his time at Independence.
Prior to Independence Community College, Smith was the Inside Linebackers coach at Southwest Minnesota State located in Marshall, Minnesota from 2015-2016. He coached two-time, first team NSIC all-conference linebacker Tyler Flud during his time at SMSU. He also completed his Masters in Physical Education: Coach of Sport during his time at SMSU.
Smith’s first coaching job came at the high school level in Illinois where he was the Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line coach at Dixon high school during the 2014 season. He worked underneath his Dad, Dave Smith, who has 143 wins in his career as a head football coach in the state of Illinois. The Dukes had their first playoff berth in almost a decade during the 2014 season.
Smith graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri where he was a four year letter winner in both football and track and field for the Bulldogs. Smith is a graduate of Mount Zion high school located in Illinois where he was all state in football and a two year state medal winner in track and field. Smith currently resides in Reading, Pa. with his fiance.
