After spending last season with Akron, Marcus Smith was announced as an assistant coach for the California University of Pennsylvania men’s basketball program on Thursday morning.
Smith served last year as a graduate assistant with the Zips after previously spending one season as an assistant coach at both Seton Hill and Thomas More (Ky.), a NCAA Division III program. He also has spent several years as a support staff member with USA Basketball.
“I’m excited about becoming a Vulcan and look forward to joining Coach (Bill) Brown and the Cal U family,” said Smith. “I pride myself on being a teacher first and plan to bring positive energy to our coaching staff. I want to give a special thanks to Coach Keith Dambrot and my Akron family. I will miss the relationships I built at Akron.”
Last year, Smith worked with an Akron program that posted a 21-14 overall record and advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament. The Zips, who boasted a 15-3 mark at home, reached the 21-win mark for the 10th-straight season and also reached the league semifinals for the 10th-conseuctive year. While with Akron, Smith helped work with All-MAC center Pat Forsythe, All-MAC Freshman guard Noah Robotham and forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr.
“We had the opportunity to see Marcus in our league during his time at Seton Hill and we also spent time at Akron with Coach Dambrot at practices last year,” said head coach Bill Brown, who enters his 20th season leading the program. “Marcus does a great job communicating to players and will work with our perimeter players.”
Smith returns to the PSAC after helping lead Seton Hill to a 15-12 overall mark and a berth in the league tournament during the Griffins initial campaign in the league. He helped work with All-PSAC West First-Team forward Malachi Leonard, who finished among the top 10 in the league in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Smith has experience with USA Basketball in various training camps as the team prepared for the Pan American Games, Olympic Games & International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup. He assisted and participated during team practices, player workouts and pregame warm-ups.
Smith started his college coaching career during the 2012-13 season with Thomas More, which is located just south of Cincinnati. He helped the Saints advance to the championship of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament and set the school record for wins with a 23-5 overall record. Smith helped mentor PAC Player of the Year D’Carlo Hayes and worked alongside PAC Coach of the Year Jeff Rogers.
A member of a state championship basketball team in Ohio, Smith played two seasons at Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) before earning his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2008. He then completed a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Cincinnati in 2011.
