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Jeff Smith returns for his fourth
season as assistant coach with the
University of Montevallo baseball program.
Smith has a tremendous amount of
responsibility in assisting with the day to
day operations of the Falcon baseball
program, including serving as the recruiting
coordinator and will serve as pitching coach
for this season.
The LaGrange, Ky. native served as
hitting coach for the past two seasons.
Last season, the Falcons established
several team single-season records,
including runs scored (619), base hits
(698), doubles (130), triples (14), RBI
(474), total bases (1,084), walks (278),
sacrifice hits (58), sacrifice flies
(42) at-bats (2105) and stolen bases
(167). The team led the Gulf South
Conference in slugging percentage
(.514), on-base percentage (.434) and
was third overall in batting (.331). He
was recognized for his work this past
season, as he was named Assistant Coach of
the Year by the Alabama Baseball Coaches
Association.
In two seasons, he
has helped guide a Daktronics
All-American (J.D. Pruitt, 2007
Third Team), two Rawlings/American
Baseball Coaches Association
All-South Central Region picks (J.D.
Pruitt 2006, Daniel Tankersley, 2007),
13 All-Gulf South Conference selections,
including the 2007 GSC East Player of
the Year (Tankersley).
Smith brings a wealth of collegiate baseball
experience that includes nine years of head
coaching experience to Montevallo. Prior to
coming to UM, Smith was the Head Coach at
Volunteer State Community College in
Gallatin, Tenn. from 1999 to 2005. His teams
won the Tennessee Junior College Collegiate
Athletic Association (TJCCAA) Conference
championship in 2003, and also claimed
back-to-back Western Division Championships
in 2000 and 2001. His 2000 team held on to
the No. 1 ranking for most of the year. He
was twice named TJCCAA West Division Coach
of the Year in 2000 and 2001, and Louisville
Slugger ABCA Coach of the Year and Diamond
Baseball Coach of the Year in 2001. In his
six years at the helm of the Pioneers Smith
compiled a 225-123 won-lose record upping
his career totals as a head coach to 294
wins and 190 losses over nine years.
Prior to Volunteer State, Smith spent three
seasons as head coach at Tennessee Wesleyan
College in Athens, Tenn. There, he guided
the team to consecutive NAIA Mid-South
Regional Appearances in 1997 and 1998.
Smith began his coaching career at the
University of Louisville, serving as
pitching coach as well as working with the
outfielders and assisting with the hitters
for two seasons, before moving to Volunteer
State as an assistant coach for three years.
In 1995, the team advanced to the NJCAA
World Series.
Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in
physical education from Cumberland
University in Lebanon, Tenn. He is married
to the former Nancy Mefford. The couple has
three daughters, Abbie, 12, Sarah Katherine,
8, and Lydia, 2.
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