Yellowjackets Hire Former Fort Hays State’s Smith for Head Volleyball Position

BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana State Billings Director of Athletics, Dr. Gary Gray announced Tuesday that Steve Smith, former head volleyball coach at Fort Hays State, has been hired to the head position at MSUB.  He replaces Dana Cordova who resigned last month.

“I am very excited not only on the move up to Montana as I grew up in the Northwest, but excited to get back in the GNAC,” Smith said.  “There is a great level of play there and MSUB has the resources and the environment to build a good program and be competitive in the GNAC.”

Smith coached at Fort Hays State for the past four years where he guided the Lady Tigers to a 16-15 record in 2005 and a berth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament in his first season.  Smith guided FHSU to double-digit wins in two of his four seasons and just missed his third double-digit win season this past year.

Prior to FHSU, Smith served as the assistant coach at Western Oregon University for nine seasons under Judy Lovre, the program’s leader in career victories.  During his tenure at WOU, Smith helped guide the Wolves to a 170-122 record, including four straight trips to the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Championships from 1996-99.

“I am very pleased that Coach Smith has accepted our offer to become our Yellowjacket volleyball coach,” Gray said.  “He brings a wealth of experience to MSUB after being an assistant coach at Western Oregon for several years and then, most recently, the head coach at Fort Hays State University for the past four years.  Coach Smith’s ties to the GNAC and the Northwest should be very positive for our program.”

He also coached various club teams and high school while in Oregon, including the No Dinx Volleyball Club from 2003-05 in Corvallis, Ore., and the Salem (Ore.) Volleyball Club from 2001-03.  In addition, Smith served as a club coach for six years (1995-2001) for the Emerald City Volleyball Club in Eugene, Ore.  He also served as the head coach at Stayton Union High School in Stayton, Ore., from 1993-96. 

A native of Salem, Ore., received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Physical Education from Western Oregon University.  He is married to Ayumi Soeda of Yokohama, Japan, and they have one daughter, Lina, born in 2008.