Adam Smith - Track and Field Coach - Syracuse University Athletics

Adam Smith

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
ajsmith@syr.edu

In four years with the Syracuse cross country and track and field programs, Adam Smith has helped elevate Syracuse to unprecedented levels of success, culminating in the 2015 NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship.

Smith's tenure with the Orange is widely considered to be the most successful era in Syracuse cross country and track and field history.

Smith, who primarily mentors the distance and mid-distance runners, saw his squad win the NCAA Championship in 2015, coaching four All-Americans and three runners to top-10 finishes, capping off an undefeated season for the championship roster.

Since then, Smith's runners have sustained the success, making their mark on the national and conference stage year in and out.

Under Smith's guidance, Justyn Knight, Colin Bennie, Martin Hehir and Philo Germano claimed USTFCCCA All-America honors in 2015, while the Orange claimed team titles at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown, Wisconsin Invitational, ACC Championship and NCAA Northeast Regional before winning the national title.

Knight went on to win the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championship as an individual, while adding a 5000-meter indoor national title, and Bennie became a four-time NCAA qualifier in outdoor track and field to supplement his two cross country All-America nods.

That success transitioned onto the track as well, with the Syracuse men earning the program's first conference indoor championship since 1992 at the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championship in 2016.

Since joining the Orange, Smith's men's squad is undefeated in cross country against ACC competition.

In 2017-18, Smith helped lead the Orange to be one-of-five schools who saw both their men's and women's programs represented in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year Standings. This season was the third-straight top-seven finish for the SU men.

This season featured a remarkable number of successes. In addition to Knight's NCAA titles, the Orange swept the ACC cross country championships, with Paige Stoner and Knight claiming individual honors to complement the men's team championship.

Syracuse also finished 10th at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships for the second-straight season, while six 'Cuse athletes qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, with four finishing in the top-10 of their respective events.

That success was built off another podium finish in cross country in 2016, in what was 'Cuse's third-straight top-five finish at nationals. Knight led the way with a second-place finish, which at the time tied a program best for an individual.

SU's women also reached great success under Smith in 2015, with the women's team finishing 12th at the NCAA Championship, which was the second-best finish in program history.

In 2014, the Orange men finished fifth at the NCAA Cross Country Championship, its best finish since 1957, while the women's squad finished 22nd.

'Cuse also peaked at No. 2 in the USTFCCCA cross country poll, its highest rank ever and finished 15th in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year standings after having nine student-athletes earn All-America distinction during indoor and outdoor track, including a record eight at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Martin Hehir earned All-America honors in each of the three seasons for the Orange.

The success came on the heels of a strong 2013 season, which saw the Syracuse men reach the top-10 at the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1957 as well.

During his first season working with the cross country team, the men's cross country team won its third BIG EAST Championship in four years in 2012 and had a program-best six All-BIG EAST Selections. Freshman Martin Hehir became the first Orange to win the individual BIG EAST title. The Orange coaching staff were honored as the BIG EAST Men's Coaching Staff of the Year. The SU men finished 15th at the 2012 NCAA Championship, while three-time All-BIG EAST selection Sarah Pagano represented the women, finishing 63rd.

Smith joins the Orange after both coaching and competing for the University of North Carolina. The Camp Hill, Pa. native was an assistant track and cross country coach for the Tar Heels for the 2012 season starting in January after serving as the volunteer assistant coach for the 2010-11 season. Smith worked with the middle distance, high jump and multi events in addition to assisting with meet director duties while he was at UNC.

In the 2012 season, Smith coached an ACC Indoor and Outdoor Champion in the 800m who also went on to qualify for the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships as well as the U.S. Olympic Trials. He has coached NCAA qualifiers in both the 800m and in the high jump. Smith has assisted with high jumpers that have won the ACC Indoor title as well as helped train many All-Americans.

A December, 2010 graduate of North Carolina, Smith received his bachelor's degree in American History and completed a minor in coaching education while competing for the Tar Heels in both cross country and track and field. He was a two-time All-ACC scorer as a member of the first-place ACC Indoor Championships distance medley relay in 2009. He was also a runner up in the 800m. Smith served as the men's team captain his junior and senior years and was a Carolina Leadership Academy 3DL Award Winner.