Smith has continued to raise the bar while leading the Golden Griffin program. During the 2009-10 campaign, Smith led Canisius to one of its most successful seasons with the team earning its most victories in nine years. The Griffs also advanced to the Atlantic Hockey Semifinals for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign.

On an individual level, Cory Conacher became the first player in the program's history to garner Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year accolades after setting a school record with 53 points and ranking second nationally in points per game. A program-high three Griffs earned all-conference honors with Carl Hudson and Vincent Scarsella joining Conacher on the All-Atlantic Hockey Team. Hudson also became the first Griff to sign with an NHL team when the Canisius standout joined the Florida Panthers following his collegiate career.

The achievements under Smith are not limited to just the 2009-10 campaign. In his first five seasons leading the Golden Griffin program, he has guided numerous student-athletes to success both on and off the ice. The Griffs have collected athletic honors and academic honors as well as enjoying successful careers after graduation. The highlights include:

• A total of 14 Griffs have signed professional contracts after playing under Smith at Canisius, highlighted by Hudson and five additional members of the Class of 2010.
• Smith has mentored three student-athletes that have earned individual postseason awards. Conacher highlights the honorees with his Player of the Year accolade, while David Kasch earned the league's Best Defensive Forward following the 2007-08 season and Dave Kostuch was named the Rookie of the Year in 2008-09.
• Four Griffs earned all-conference accolades in the past two seasons a total of five times, one more than Canisius' first 10 seasons at the Division I level combined. In 2010, Hudson became the first player in the program's history to be named to the all-conference team on two occasions.
• The success of the 2009-10 season comes on the heels of a breakthrough season in which Smith led the Griffs to a number of firsts. During the 2008-09 campaign, Canisius swept a pair of games against eventual NCAA quarterfinalist and 15th-ranked Air Force, marking the first victories for the Griffs against a nationally-ranked opponent. Canisius also earned its first wins against a CCHA and ECAC school during the season, a feat the Griffs duplicated this past year.
• Smith has also excelled on the recruiting front during his tenure at Canisius, with his first full recruiting class graduating in 2010 with a combined 26 school records. In four of his first five seasons, at least one player has earned Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie honors, highlighted by Kostuch's Rookie of the Year selection in 2009.
• In his five seasons, 72 Griffs have earned Atlantic Hockey All-Academic accolades, including a school-record 18 following the 2008-09 campaign. In addition, Max Buetow was named the Atlantic Hockey Top Scholar Athlete in 2005-06 for owning the top GPA in the league, while Dave Cianfrini picked up the honor this past season.

Smith became the program's third head coach on April 15, 2005 after serving the previous three seasons as the associate coach and recruiting coordinator at fellow Atlantic Hockey member Mercyhurst College. Smith also spent time as an assistant coach with Bowling Green and Miami. During his tenure as an assistant coach, Smith coached or recruited:

• Two Hobey Baker Award Finalists
• Four Players of the Year
• Two Rookies of the Year
• 22 all-league award winners
• Three Terry Flanagan Award Winners for Perseverance

The Arthur, Ontario, native was also instrumental in guiding Mercyhurst to two league championships and two NCAA Division I Tournament appearances in his three seasons with the Lakers.

Smith graduated from The Ohio State University in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in journalism/public relations and was a four-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes. Smith finished his career at Ohio State with 140 points, ranking 14th all-time. He was selected as team captain as a junior and chosen as the team's MVP as a senior, while leading the Buckeyes with 41 assists and 63 points.

After graduating from Ohio State, Smith spent six seasons in professional hockey, including five full seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the International Hockey League (IHL) and a brief period in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). He was under contract with the New York Rangers in 1994-95. Smith has spent his summers coaching young players and adults as a director and head instructor at numerous camps across the United States and Canada.

Smith and his wife, Susan, have two daughters, Ellis and Kylie. Susan is currently pursuing her PhD in philosophy at the University at Buffalo. She is the post-doctoral associate and Assistant Director of the Humanities Institute at the University at Buffalo.