Matt Smith is entering into his third year as the Head Men's Golf Coach.
Smith graduated from West-Oak High School, where he earned the individual titles of 3A Regional Champion, County Champion and All-State. The West Oak alum attended Truett McConnell from 2016-2020 and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. While at TMU, Smith was a three-year captain for the Bears, three-time NAIA Champion of Character, two-time AAC All-Conference First Team honoree, while also individually winning four collegiate events. Most notable, Smith became the first-ever TMU golfer to be named an NAIA All-American. Smith also competed in the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California following his sophomore season.
Since graduating from TMU, the Seneca, South Carolina native served as the Assistant Golf Professional at Cross Creek in Seneca, as a PGA Level I member. Smith also recently married his wife, Hunter, in April of 2021.
During Smith's first year as head coach in 2021-2022, he guided the men's team to an NAIA Top 25 ranking of No. 18. TMU had three runner-up finishes during the season at the Skyhawk Fall Invitational, NAIA Memphis Shootout and the AAC Championship, while recording one individual victory on the season with Michael Osborne winning the Mountain Empire Intercollegiate.
In 2022-2023, Smith and the men's golf team recorded one of the best finishes in program history. In the first tournament of the fall, the team set a new 3-day scoring record of 17 under-par at the Coastal Ga. Fall Invitational. At the end of the fall season, the men earned an NAIA ranking of No. 13, which is the best ranking in program history. The men's golf team was crowned AAC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, earning their ticket to the 2022-23 NAIA National Championships, along with Caden Sanders individually being crowned AAC Tournament Champion in his first year as a Bear and Coach Smith named the 2022-23 AAC Coach of the Year. This is the first time in program history that men's golf has recorded the double and the first time the Bears have had an individual win at the AAC Tournament.
In Smith's first appearance at the National Championship as head coach, the men's team made the cut for the final round and finished in 13th overall out of 29 teams. This is the team's best finish in program history at nationals and the first time the team has ever made the cut for the final round. TMU was featured shooting eight under-par in the final round at the national championship to give them the lowest round score out of any team for the entire tournament. Coach Smith had two golfers finish in the top 15 overall, featuring Jackson Stone tied for fifth in his first year as a Bear and Peyton Shedd tied for 14th. Both Stone and Shedd individually were named to the NAIA Ping All-American Third Team.
