Mark Smith returned to his longtime home of Terre Haute as assistant head coach and defensive line coach prior to the 2017 season.
Under Smith, senior defensive tackle Rex Mosley earned Preseason All-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades in 2018 and went on to finish his career as one of the most consistent run stoppers on the defensive line. Defensive lineman Inoke Moala was named All-MVFC Honorable Mention following the 2019 season. Moala would go on to lead the MVFC in both sacks and tackles for loss in the 2021 regular season on his way to earning First Team All-Conference honors.
Smith was a prominent defensive coach for the Sycamores from 1988-2002, working as the special teams coordinator, defensive line and inside linebackers coach before two seasons as the defensive coordinator in 2001 and 2002. Smith was also an assistant coach at Rose-Hulman in 1986-87 before moving across town to Indiana State, where he helped guide the Engineers to a 1986 conference title.
Prior to coming to Terre Haute to coach at Rose-Hulman and Indiana State, Smith was an assistant coach at Bowling Green from 1982-85. Smith was on two staffs that took the Falcons to conference titles and California Bowl trips in 1982 and 1985.
During his career at Indiana State, Smith coached several defensive units that gained national acclaim while coaching 14 all-conference players and six All-Americans – including NFL Draft pick Dan Brandenburg, who played in 42 games in three seasons with the Buffalo Bills from 1997-99.
Smith left Indiana State in 2003 to join Brady Hoke’s staff at Ball State, starting a relationship that would carry him on his next two stops. At Ball State, Smith was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2003-08. In 2008, the Cardinals were nationally ranked and went 12-1 overall, ending with a trip to the 2008 GMAC Bowl. That season, Smith’s defense ranked 29th nationally in scoring defense, 28th in tackles for loss and 38th in opposing pass efficiency. That same year, Smith helped mentor MAC Freshman of the Year, Sean Baker.
Ball State also went to the 2007 International Bowl with Smith on staff.
Smith followed Hoke out to San Diego State in 2009 and 2010, eventually taking the Aztecs to the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl.
From there, Smith was brought on with Hoke at Michigan from 2011-14, where he was the Wolverines’ linebackers coach from 2011-13 and the defensive line coach in 2014. In Ann Arbor, Smith was part of three Michigan teams that went to bowl games in 2011 (Sugar Bowl), 2012 (Outback Bowl) and 2013 (Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl).
In 2011, Smith's group helped the Wolverines to an 11-2 record and a Sugar Bowl victory. U-M's defense ranked second in the Big Ten and sixth in the FBS in scoring defense, surrendering only 17.4 points per game. The Wolverines defense also ranked third in the conference in rushing defense (131.7 yards per game), fourth in total yards per game (322.2) and fifth in passing defense (190.5 ypg). The linebackers also contributed to a conference best 29 turnovers forced and FBS-best 20 fumbles recovered.
The 2012 group was led by All-Big Ten second team linebacker Jake Ryan's 88 tackles, 16.0 stops for loss, 4.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, while Kenny Demens had 82 tackles, including six tackles for loss and Morgan had 81 stops, 5.5 for loss. The linebacking corps in 2012 helped U-M limit opponents to 19.8 points per game, fourth in the Big Ten and 20th nationally, and 320.0 total yards per game, second in the conference and 13th in the country.
Smith's unit produced two of the Wolverines' top three leading tacklers in 2013 in James Ross III (85 tackles) and Desmond Morgan (79 tackles) and the team's top three tackles leaders in 2012.
Smith’s 2014 season was highlighted by second-round NFL Draft pick defensive end Frank Clark, who posted 42 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, two PBU and a fumble recovery during his final year.
Smith has spent the last two seasons in 2015 and 2016 at Division II Florida Tech, where he served as the associate head coach and defensive line coach both years and the defensive coordinator in 2016.
Smith began his coaching career at Defiance High School in Ohio after graduating from Purdue with a bachelor’s in 1979 and a master’s from Bowling Green in 1983. Smith and his wife, Kim, have three children: Heather, Eric and Craig.
Mark Smith Coaching Career:
2017-Pres. – Indiana State – Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Line
2015-16 – Florida Tech – Associate Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator (2016), Defensive Line
2011-14 – Michigan – Defensive Line (2014), Linebackers (2011-13)
2009-10 – San Diego State – Linebackers
2003-08 – Ball State – Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
1988-2002 – Indiana State – Defensive Coordinator (2001-02), Special Teams, Defensive Line, Inside Linebackers
1986-87 – Rose-Hulman – Assistant Coach
1982-85 – Bowling Green – Assistant Coach
Coach Mallory: “I worked with Mark on a nationally-ranked defense at Michigan and have known him for a very long time. It always starts up front with the defensive line, and Mark was a key member of that staff at Michigan in anchoring our defense and fostering the success we had. He’s a highly-regarded veteran football coach. We feel very fortunate that Mark is back in Terre Haute coaching our defensive line.”
