Del Smith, Director of Football
Del Smith, who boasts 14 years of coaching experience, including three seasons at Wagner and, most recently, the last three seasons as the head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College (NCAA DII), was named Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Wagner in February, 2019.
Over his three seasons at West Virginia Wesleyan, Smith guided a program turnaround which was impressive on multiple fronts. In 2016, Smith inherited a 2-8 football team with an average margin of defeat of 32 points per game. In his second year at the helm, Smith led the Bobcats to their highest Mountain East Conference (MEC) finish since the inception of the league, a fourth-place showing (out of 11 teams). Most notable, was Wesleyan's win over of Notre Dame (OH), the eight-ranked team in Super Region 1. In addition, during Smith's three-year tenure, a host of Bobcats received conference and national recognition. In total, 16 West Virginia Wesleyan players received All-Conference recognition in the Mountain East. Smith mentored the conference leader in sacks, interceptions, all-purpose yardage, rushing yards, and fumble recoveries.
Senior defensive end, Kevin Pharoan, led the MEC in sacks and was a Cliff Harris Award finalist in 2016. Senior running back, Michael Anderson, was recognized as Mountain East Conference Offensive Player of the Year, AFCA 1st Team All-American, Don Hanson 3rd Team All-America, D2Football.com All-American, 1st Team All Super Region 1, 1st Team Mountain East Conference.
Prior to his arrival at WVWC, Coach Smith was the defensive coordinator at Bridgewater College in Virginia (NCAA Division III). During the 2015 season, Smith's defense led the competitive Old Dominion Athletic Conference in passing defense yielding just 174.8 yards per game and pass efficiency defense at 116.1.
Smith spent three years as the head football coach of Bishop O'Connell High School in the nationally recognized and competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.
During his tenure, Smith led the Knights to their first three-year stretch without a losing season in more than four decades. Coach Smith was recognized for the turnaround in 2012-13 as he was awarded Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and Arlington County coach of the year honors. Over a three year period, Smith placed over 16 student-athletes on college rosters and managed the schools strength and conditioning program.
In 2010, Coach Smith was the linebackers coach and special team's coordinator at Bridgewater College. During the 2010 season, Coach Smith's kickoff return unit finished 3rd nation in return yardage averaging 25.37 yards per return. Overall, special team's units blocked nine kicks.
From 2008-10, Coach Smith was the head football coach at Blue Ridge School outside of Charlottesville, VA. In 2009-10, Smith led the Barons to their first state championship game appearance in over a decade and a half. Smith was recognized in 2009 as the Virginia Independent and Old Dominion Football Conference coach of the year for his efforts. Prior to his three-year stint at Wagner (2006-08), he began his career as the Bobcats' linebackers coach in 2005,
Smith, is a 2005 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan where he was four-year member of the football program and a member of the consecutive conference championship teams in 2002 and 2003. Before enrolling at West Virginia Wesleyan, Smith was a 2001 graduate of Benedictine College Preparatory School in Richmond, VA, where he was a member of the 2001 State Championship teams in both football and baseball.
