Cornell University Athletics

The 2007-08 season was undoubtedly the most successful in program history, as the Big Red closed out the year with a school record for wins (20), as well as setting records for most conference wins (11), points scored (1889), 3-pointers made (200) and assists (436) in a season. After winning its first-ever Ivy League title, the Big Red faced No. 1 Connecticut in the first round of the 2007-08 NCAA tournament. Cornell fell to the Huskies, 89-47, but managed to score more points against UConn than 12 schools during the regular season, including postseason participants Hartford, Old Dominion, Rutgers, South Carolina, Villanova and Virginia.

During the season, Smith earned the 50th win of her career as the Big Red posted the only undefeated conference home slate in school history and won a program-best eight-straight victories from Feb. 1 to Feb. 29.

Under her tutelage, junior Jeomi Maduka became the first Cornell women’s basketball player to be named the Ivy League Player of the Year and earn honorable mention All-America honors from the Associated Press. A former standout point guard at Rhode Island, Smith also molded sophomore Lauren Benson into one of the best point guards in the league as she broke the school record with 156 assists on the season. Maduka and Benson, as well as senior Moina Snyder, all earned All-Ivy honors, with Maduka earning a unanimous selection to the first-team, while Benson and Snyder were both named honorable mention.  

The triumphs of last season came on the heels of an outstanding 2006-07 campaign in which the Big Red finished with a 12-15 record, tied for the fifth-most wins in program history, and the most under Smith at that time. The team also boasted an 8-6 Ivy League record, tying the mark for the most conference wins by the women's basketball program in a single season, and finished the year ranked third in the conference, its best Ivy League finish since the 2001-02 team tied for second place. Following the season, the forward tandem of Maduka and Snyder earned All-Ivy honors. Maduka became Cornell's first second-team All-Ivy selection since the 2003-04 season, while Snyder was an honorable mention selection.

The 2005-06 season brought unexpected success when the Big Red, after being selected to finish last in the conference's preseason poll, exceeded all expectations by finishing the year with an 8-19 overall record and a 4-7 mark in the Ancient Eight, good for fifth place in the league standings. Smith also developed Maduka into the Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Smith, who is the seventh head women's basketball coach at the University, led the Big Red in 2002-03 to its fifth consecutive season with at least 10 wins. The squad finished with a 6-5 record at Newman Arena and had four conference victories. Smith also helped develop guard Karen Force into a first-team All-Ivy player, the first junior at Cornell to ever be named among the league's elite group.

Prior to her time with the Big Red, Smith helped build programs at Rhode Island and Penn for a combined six seasons as an assistant coach before being named Cornell's head coach on June 19, 2002. She became the first Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball when the position was endowed in the fall of 2003.

One of the top young coaches in the country, Smith spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Penn, helping Cornell's Ivy League rival to the 2000-01 league crown and a trip to the NCAA tournament, as well as a pair of regular season runner-up finishes. Smith had a hand in all aspects of the Quaker program, from scouting and recruiting to coordinating team travel and monitoring the academic progress of the squad.

In her three seasons at Penn, the Quakers posted a 52-31 overall record and a 31-11 Ivy League record, including an undefeated 14-0 conference slate in 2000-01. Smith was instrumental in recruiting one first-team All-Ivy and two all-rookie players in her short tenure and assisted in the development of two-time Ivy Player of the Year Diana Caramanico, the conference's all-time leading scorer (2,415 points). She also played a role in increasing community support for women's games, initiating the "Penn Pals" program.

Before accepting the position at Penn, Smith held a similar position at her alma mater, Rhode Island. Smith spent three seasons as an assistant for the Rams, including a three-month stint as interim head coach during her final season in Kingston. Her head coaching responsibility came at the age of 25, making her the youngest head coach ever at URI.

The native of Pittsburgh, Pa., quickly climbed the coaching ladder at URI after accepting a third assistant spot following her graduation in 1996. She was promoted the next spring, and a year later, became the program's primary assistant. Her on-court responsibilities included working with the guards and coordinating the offense. Away from the court, Smith was the Rams' primary recruiter and maintained the travel and recruiting budgets.

Smith spent three summers as camp director at Rhode Island, facilitating a camp membership growth of 525 percent over a three-year span. She was also responsible for the hiring, training and superviseng of more than 50 camp counselors while designing daily camp activities.

One of the top point guards in Atlantic 10 history, Smith helped lead the Rams to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1996, capping a season where URI also captured its first A-10 East Division crown. A two-time first team all-conference pick, Smith was one of only 11 players in Division I history to score more than 1,000 points and record 750 assists. She rewrote the Rhode Island record book, graduating as the program's all-time assist and 3-point field goal leader. She finished second in the nation in assists as a sophomore and ranked fourth as a junior. She ranks among the NCAA top 20 all-time in career assists (20th, 793) and assists per game (12th, 7.14).

A member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, Smith received her degree in business management from Rhode Island in May of 1996.