Mike Smith (running coach)

Last updated
Mike Smith
Biographical details
Born (1980-04-03) April 3, 1980 (age 44) [1]
Alma mater Georgetown University
Playing career
1994–1998 Wachusett Regional High School Mountaineers
1998–2000 James Madison Dukes
2000–2002 Georgetown Hoyas
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2006–2012Team Run Flagstaff
2012–2016 Georgetown Hoyas
2016–present Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
Born
Michael Smith
Spouse Rachel Schneider

Mike Smith (born April 3, 1980) is an American coach who has been the director of cross country and track and field at Northern Arizona University since 2017. [2] As the head coach of the men's and women's programs, he has led the men's teams to five NCAA Division I men's cross country championships titles. [3]

Contents

Smith has been credited with establishing a running dynasty at Northern Arizona. His coaching philosophy involves emphasizing "executing a great team race" at championships rather than focusing on the final outcome. [4] [5]

Prior to Northern Arizona University

As a runner, Smith competed for the Wachusett Regional High School Mountaineers where his team placed 2nd at the 1997 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association cross country championships. Smith also placed 8th at the 1998 New Balance Outdoor Nationals two-mile run. [6]

After initially competing for James Madison University, Smith completed his collegiate running career at Georgetown University. [7] After college, he worked as an elementary school teacher for two years and earned a master's degree. He did not compete during this time period. [6] In 2006, he moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, where he worked under Dr. Jack Daniels at the NAU Center for High Altitude Training and founded Team Run Flagstaff. [8] During this time period, Smith competed in trail and road running and qualified for and competed in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon. [6]

Smith returned to Georgetown as a coach in 2012. He rose through the ranks to eventually become the Director of Cross Country and Track and Field during the 2015–2016 academic year. [9]

As director of Northern Arizona cross country and track

Smith joined the NAU cross country coaching staff in fall 2016 in anticipation of the retirement of the current head coach, Eric Heins. [10] That season, the men's team built off of fourth, second, and fourth place team finishes in the three preceding years to win the 2016 NCAA men's NCAA Division I title. Mike Smith officially became the Northern Arizona University's Director of Cross Country and Track in 2017.

Men's NCAA DI cross country championship team results

YearNCAA ChampionsRunner-upScoreTop-10 Individual Finishes
2017 [11] NAU Portland 74–1272nd Matthew Baxter, 3rd Tyler Day, 8th Peter Lomong
2018 [12] NAU BYU 83–1166th Tyler Day
2019 [13] BYU NAU 109–163
2020 NAU Notre Dame 60–874th Nico Young, 6th Blaise Ferro, 7th Abdihamid Nur, 9th Luis Grijalva
2021 [14] NAU Iowa State 92–1377th Abdihamid Nur
2022 [15] NAU Oklahoma State 83–83* 3–2 tiebreak2nd Nico Young, 3rd Drew Bosley
2023 [16] Oklahoma State NAU 49–715th Drew Bosley,

6th Nico Young

Women's NCAA DI cross country championship team results

YearNAU PlaceTop-10 Individual Finishes
2017 [3] Did not qualify
2018 [3] Did not qualify
2019 [12] 14th
2020 [17] 11th6th Taryn O'Neill
2021 23rd
2022 [18] 6th4th Elise Stearns
2023 [19] 2nd

Individual NCAA titles and records

Under Smith, four male athletes have won indoor and NCAA Division I titles: Andy Trouard in the 3000 m in 2018, George Beamish in the mile in 2019, [20] Abdihamid Nur in the 3000m and 5000m in 2022, [21] and Nico Young in the 3000 m and 5000 m in 2024. [22] As of the conclusion of the outdoor NCAA season in 2023, Smith has yet to win an NCAA outdoor title.

As of 2024, Smith's athletes hold collegiate records in the indoor 3,000 m (by Drew Bosley in 2023) and the absolute 5,000 m and 10,000 m records (by Nico Young in 2024). Smith-trained Abdihamid Nur previously held the 5,000 m record. [23] [24]

Athletes trained by Mike Smith

Current

Former

Championship results by professional athletes

YearMeetAthleteEventPlaceTime
2015 USA Indoor Championships Rachel SmithMile3rd4:35.85
USA Championships Rachel Smith1,500 m5th4:16.09
2016 USA Indoor Championships Rachel Smith1,500 m8th4:19.48
USA Olympic Trials Rachel Smith1,500 m17th4:13.43
2018 USA Indoor Championships Rachel Smith1,500 m7th4:16.71
USA Championships Rachel Smith1,500 m4th4:08.33
Rachel Smith5,000 m2nd15:32.71
2019 USA Cross County Championships Rachel Smith10 km12th34:04
USA Championships Rachel Smith5,000 m4th15:17.91
World Championships Rachel Smith5,000 m19th15:30.00
2020 USA Indoor Championships Rachel Smith1,500 m6th4:14.87
Rachel Smith3,000 m9th9:16.06
2021 USA Olympic Trials Galen Rupp10,000 m6th27:59.43
Olympic Games Luis Grijalva5,000 m12th13:10.09
Galen RuppMarathon8th2:11.41
Rachel Smith5,000 m17th15:00.07
2022 USA Championships Nikki Hiltz1,500 m10th4:10.97
Abdihamid Nur5,000 m3rd13:08.63
World Championships Luis Grijalva5,000 m4th13:10.44
Abdihamid Nur5,000 m11th13:18.05
2023 USA Championships Nikki Hiltz1,500 m1st4:03.10
Abdihamid Nur5,000 m1st13:24.37
Woody Kincaid10,000 m1st28:23.01
World Championships Luis Grijalva5,000 m4th13:12.50
Nikki Hiltz1,500 m11th (sf)4:00.84
Abdihamid Nur5,000 m12th13:23.90
Woody Kincaid10,000 m11th28:08.71
2024 USA Indoor Championships Nikki Hiltz1,500 m1st4:08.35
Abdihamid Nur3,000 m5th7:58.65
World Indoor Championships Nikki Hiltz1,500 m2nd4:02.32
USA Olympic Trials Nikki Hiltz1,500 m1st3:55.33
Woody Kincaid5,0009th13:31.40
10,000 m2nd27:50.74
Abdihamid Nur5,000 m2nd13:09.01
Galen RuppMarathon16th2:14.07
Nico Young10,000 m3rd27:52.40
Olympic Games Luis Grijalva5,000 m16th13:58.81
Nikki Hiltz1,500 m7th3:56.38
Abdihamid Nur5,000 m19th (h)14:15.00
Woody Kincaid10,000 m16th27:29.40
Nico Young10,000 m12th26:58.11

Personal

Smith was born in 1980 and was raised in Princeton, Massachusetts. [34] [6] [1] Smith is married to professional runner Rachel Schneider (now Rachel Smith). [35] They initially met at Georgetown University, where Smith coached Schneider. Both relocated to Flagstaff, AZ, and, while Smith continued to coach Schneider, the pair began dating. The couple has one child, Nova, born in 2023. [36]

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References

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