Brian Smith (defensive back, born 1979)

Last updated

Brian Smith
Current position
Title Defensive coordinator, safeties coach
Team Rice
Conference AAC
Biographical details
Born (1979-07-15) July 15, 1979 (age 45)
Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Alma mater
Playing career
1997–2000 UMass
Position(s) Defensive back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2004 UMass (OLB)
2005–2006UMass (WR)
2007–2008 New York Jets (OQC)
2009–2012New York Jets (DQC)
2013–2014New York Jets (Asst. DB)
2015 Philadelphia Eagles (Asst. LB)
2016–2017 Michigan (DB)
2018–2020 Rice (DC/S)
2021–2022Rice (DC/LB)
2023–presentRice (DC/S)

Brian Smith (born July 15, 1979) is an American football coach and former player. He is the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Rice University. He has also coached at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Michigan, and in the NFL with the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Contents

Playing career

Smith was a four-year letter winner and a three-year starter for the UMass Minutemen as a strong safety and cornerback. A team captain as a senior, he also earned All-Atlantic 10, All-New England, and All-ECAC honors for his play. In addition to his on-field prowess, Smith excelled in the classroom, earning academic all-conference honors three times. Smith was a starter on UMass's 1998 team that won the Division I-AA National Championship. [1]

Coaching career

UMass

Smith began his coaching career at his alma mater, UMass as the outside linebackers coach in 2004. For the next two season, he moved to the offensive side, coaching the Minutemen wide receivers. Among the players he mentored was all-pro and pro bowl NFL receiver Victor Cruz. [2]

New York Jets

Prior to the 2007 season, Smith began his eight-year tenure with the New York Jets of the National Football League. [3] His first two seasons, while on Eric Mangini's staff, Smith served as an offensive quality control coach. In 2009, Smith was retained by newly hired head coach Rex Ryan, and moved to the defensive side of the ball as a defensive quality control coach. He worked with the Jets defensive backs for the next six seasons, including being promoted to assistant defensive backs coach for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He mentored cornerback Dee Milliner, who won NFL defensive rookie of the month honors. [2]

Philadelphia Eagles

Following Ryan's firing with the Jets, Smith moved on and joined Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles staff as the assistant linebackers coach. Kelly was fired with two games left in the season, and Smith was again on the move. [4]

Michigan

In 2016, Smith joined Jim Harbaugh's Michigan staff as the safeties coach, re-uniting him with Don Brown, who had recently been hired as the Wolverines defensive coordinator. Smith had both played for Brown when he was the defensive coordinator for the UMass Minutemen and coached with him when Brown was the head coach. [5]

In Smith first season, he helped both of Michigan's starting safeties, Lano Hill and Dymonte Thomas, achieve All-Big Ten honors. Additionally, Smith helped coach a defense that led or ranked second in the NCAA in seven defensive categories, including pass defense, pass efficiency defense, first and third down conversions allowed and scoring defense. The Wolverines allowed 28 red zone trips all season, which was the fewest in the nation. Smith's defensive back group defended 68 passes, with 13 interceptions and three pick-sixes, including one from Hill and the unit allowed only 11 passing touchdowns all season. The defense led the Big Ten in eight categories and only allowed a 43.6% average completion percentage for opposing quarterbacks. [2]

Rice

In early December 2017, it was reported that Smith was leaving Michigan to become the defensive coordinator on Mike Bloomgren's inaugural Rice Owls football staff. The two had previously worked together for four seasons with the Jets, and Smith knew early on that he wanted to be a coordinator on Bloomgren's staff when the opportunity arose. [5]

Smith initially coached the Owls' safeties, in addition to his coordinating responsibilities, for two seasons. He then took over the linebackers room for the 2020 though 2022 seasons, before moving back to the safeties again. Smith's defenses have consistently been as good or better than any Rice defense in this century. [2]

Personal life

Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Smith graduated cum laude with a degree in accounting. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Brian Smith". umassathletics.com. University of Massachusetts Amherst SID. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Brian Smith". riceowls.com. Rice University SID. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  3. ↑ Sheridan, Phil (February 18, 2015). "Eagles hire Brian Smith as assistant LB coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Brian Smith Named Asst. Linebackers Coach". philadelphiaeagles.com. Philadelphia Eagles. February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Hill, Glynn (December 8, 2017). "Rice hires Brian Smith, Jerry Mack as Mike Bloomgren's coordinators". chron.com. Hearst Newspapers LLC. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
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