Bio

Mike Smith was named head volleyball coach in April of 2021. 

Behind a head coaching career that has spanned two decades, Smith's 30-year athletic administration background has resulted in a myriad of accomplishments throughout the South Atlantic Conference. With four full seasons as Mars Hill's head volleyball coach under his belt, Smith possesses an overall record of 426-264 (collecting 75 of those victories as the program leader for the Lions). The 400-win milestone came after the Lions 3-1 win against Lincoln Memorial on Sept. 12, 2023.

Smith was named MHU's interim head coach prior to the abbreviated Spring '21 campaign, immediately impressing with an appearance in the SAC Tournament after a 10-match season. He followed this appetizer with a 21-win march over his first full season later that fall, grabbing the highest number of victories obtained by a Mars Hill volleyball team in the 21st century.

Setting a mark that the Lions had not reached since 1998 with the aforementioned 21 wins, Smith's fall 2021 squad qualified for the NCAA D-II Southeast Regionals. This was a first in Mars Hill Women’s Volleyball history. The coaching veteran assumed his second complete season with the Lions in 2022, collecting 18 more wins and a trip to the SAC Tournament for the third straight time. The '22 Lions scattered 13 conference W's, the most seen by the program over the past nine years. In ’23, the Lions added 14 more wins, a fourth straight SAC Tournament appearance and a South Atlantic Conference Freshmen of the Year recipient. In 2024, the Lions had a 17 win season that saw them finish tied for 3^rd in the South Atlantic Conference (highest since 1998), 13 conference wins and also make the SAC Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2011.

Over his distinguished volleyball coaching tenure in the Gulf South Conference and South Atlantic Conference at Lincoln Memorial and Mars Hill, Smith has guided a total of 38 all-league players, including 14 All-Region honorees, two Conference Freshmen of the Year and two D-II All-America recipients. Under Smith's leadership, he has coached a two-time SAC Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year, SAC International Women of the Year, NCAA Woman of the Year nominee and 7 inductees into the LMU Athletes Hall of Fame. At Mars Hill, his Spring & Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 teams have accomplished the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award. Smith was inducted into the Lincoln Memorial University Athletes Hall of Fame in Fall of 2019.