Smith joined Mike Stoops' staff in February 2007 after a year at Rice and a long tenure at Kansas State. He began as the running backs coach in 2007 and moves to inside receivers this season.
He brings credentials as a coach in a high-profile program and playing experience to the Arizona equation, plus has familiarity with UA's leader through past working association with Stoops at Kansa State. The two worked under Bill Snyder for four seasons from 1995-98.
Smith's background in offensive backfield play makes him well suited for the move to the inside passing game in Arizona's spread offense. He'll take on UA senior playmaker Mike Thomas in new roles for each, as Thomas moves inside for 2008.
In his previous coaching stint, he helped Rice to a 7-6 record, advancing to its first bowl game in 45 seasons. He coached a 1,000-yard running back for the fifth consecutive year.
Career Highlights
• Coached true freshman tailback Nic Grigsby to a 700-yard performance in seven starts in 2007, emerging from reserve to fulltime duty. UA's backs combined for 967 yards at 4.0 yards per tote.
• Helped incorporate the RBs into UA's new offense in its first year, with backfield players contributing 63 receptions for three scores in the new system.
• Coached Rice senior Quinton Smith to 1,096 yards in 2006, only the sixth Owls' RB in history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark.
• Helped develop six Kansas State running backs into National Football League players - Darren Sproles, Rock Cartwright, Joe Hall, Josh Scobey, Frank Murphy and David Allen.
• Coached Darren Sproles to 4,979-yard career from 2001-04, with 24 games of more than 100 yards and a 6.1 average per carry. He posted a Kansas State-record 1,986 yards on 306 totes in 2003.
• Coached each of the top career running backs in history at K-State - Sproles (4,979), Eric Hickson (2,537) and Mike Lawrence (2,265). Coached four successive KSU 1,000-yard rushers in Josh Scobey (2001) and Sproles (2002-04).
• Led RBs to school-record 53 rushing touchdowns at Kansas State in 2002, and 254 total in nine years.
• No. 2 career receiver at Kansas State. Four-year letterman and a career receiving total of 179 receptions for 2,547 yards as a Kansas State player, second-best catches total and third-best yardage total in league history at the time. Nine 100-yard games, including three above 170 to set standards on school single-game list. • Led the Big Eight and was seventh nationally with 70 receptions for 816 yards as Kansas State sophomore receiver in 1989. Single-game record with 13 catches for 166 yards vs. Missouri. Had 46 catches for 796 yards as a junior and 55 for 768 yards as a senior.
• Earned All-Big Eight honors as a receiver in 1989 and 1991.
• Third-team All-America honors as a senior receiver at K-State in 1991. Honorable mention All-America in 1989.
• Played for Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL in 1992, started coaching career as student assistant in 1993 at K-State.
Smith's Coaching History
1995-96 Graduate Assistant Kansas State
1997 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
1998 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
1999 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
2000 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
2001 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
2002 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
2003 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
2004 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
2005 Running Backs Coach Kansas State
2006 Running Backs Coach Rice
2007 Running Backs Coach Arizona
2008 Inside Receivers Coach Arizona
Michael Smith in Bowl Games
1993 Copper Bowl Kansas State student asst.
1995 Holiday Bowl Kansas State GA
1996 '97 Cotton Bowl Kansas State GA
1997 Fiesta Bowl Kansas State coach
1998 Alamo Bowl Kansas State coach
1999 Holiday Bowl Kansas State coach
2000 '01 Cotton Bowl Kansas State coach
2001 Insight.com Kansas State coach
2002 Holiday Bowl Kansas State coach
2003 '04 Fiesta Bowl Kansas State coach
2006 New Orleans Bowl Rice coach
The Smith File
Arizona Running Backs Coach
Date of birth: Nov. 21, 1970
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
High School: Jesuit High School, New Orleans
College: Kansas State, 1995
Playing Experience: Receiver, Kansas State 1988-91
Recruiting Areas: Orange County, Kansas JCs, Nevada
Family: Daughters Kylie and Kenzie
