Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Director of Player Personnel and Development
- Email:
- jmio@umich.edu
- Phone:
- (734) 763-5504
With nearly four decades of coaching collegiate basketball at all three NCAA levels, Jay Smith returned to the University of Michigan basketball program as the Director of Player Personnel and Development under Juwan Howard.
Early in his 38-year coaching career, Smith served an assistant coach at U-M for seven seasons (1989-96) where he helped the Wolverines to six NCAA Tournament selections, two Final Fours and assisted in recruiting what some consider to be "the greatest class ever recruited" in U-M's famed "Fab Five." During his time in Ann Arbor he aided in the coaching of All-Americans Rumeal Robinson, Loy Vaught, Terry Mills, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Howard.
Prior to his return to U-M, Smith spent three seasons as the head coach at Kalamazoo College (2016-19). In his first season, he guided the Hornets to a four-win improvement and to a tie for sixth place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), the program’s best finish since 2011. Smith was an important catalyst for multiple facility improvements at Anderson Athletic Center including new bleachers, scorer's tables, lobby renovation, a new court divider and visual enhancements inside and outside the arena.
Before returning to a head coaching role with Kalamazoo, Smith was an assistant coach at Detroit Mercy for eight years (2008-16) after taking two years away from the game following his near decade stint as the head coach of Central Michigan.
With Detroit Mercy, Smith helped the Titans to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012, an NIT appearance in 2013 and to the Horizon League Tournament title in 2012. During the 2015-16 season, UDM finished eighth in the nation in scoring (84.1 ppg) after recording 90 or more points nine times.
In his near decade with the Chippewas, Smith led CMU to a pair of Mid-American (MAC) regular season titles (2001, '03), the 2003 MAC Tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In fact, Smith's 2002-03 CMU squad finished the season 25-7 and 14-4 in the MAC. The Chippewas recorded non-conference wins over Michigan and No. 23 Notre Dame as well as No. 15 Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That 2003 team was led by MAC Player of the Year and sixth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft (Los Angeles Clippers) Chris Kaman.
Before heading to Mount Pleasant, Smith earned his first head coaching job at Grand Valley State University in 1996-97. He guided the Lakers to a 23-6 record, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular season and tournament championships and an NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. Smith started his coaching career as an assistant at Kent State for five years (1984-89) where he helped the Golden Flashes to a pair of NIT appearances in 1985 and 1989.
Smith earned a bachelor's degree in physical education with a business minor at Saginaw Valley State University in 1984 and a master's degree in sports administration at Kent State in 1986. He played one year of basketball at Bowling Green State University (1979-80) before playing his final three years at Saginaw Valley State (1981-83) where the Cardinals posted a 60-32 record (32-16 GLIAC) during his career.
Smith was a standout high school basketball guard at Mio AuSable and still holds the Michigan state record for career scoring with 2,841 points -- a record without the 3-point line. In 2019, Smith was named the 1979 Retro Mr. Basketball by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM). During his prep career, he set a single season scoring mark as a junior with 912 points, and then he topped it as a senior with 952 points. In 1978, he led the Thunderbolts to the Class D State Championship Final Four.
The Jay Smith File
Born: June 21, 1961
Hometown: Mio, Michigan
High School: Mio Au Sable High School (1981)
College: Saginaw Valley State, 1984 | Degree: Physical Education)
Graduate School: Kent State, 1986 | Masters: Sport Administration)
Wife: Tymi
Children (2): Son, Cooper and daughter, Cazzi
Career Resume
| Years | School | Position |
| 1984-89 | Kent State University | Assistant Coach |
| 1989-96 | University of Michigan | Assistant Coach |
| 1996-97 | Grand Valley State University | Head Coach |
| 1997-2006 | Central Michigan University | Head Coach |
| 2008-16 | University of Detroit Mercy | Assistant Coach |
| 2016-19 | Kalamazoo College | Head Coach |
| 2019-present | University of Michigan | Director of Player Personnel & Development |
Coaching Career Breakdown
| Year | School | Record | Conference | Finish | Tournament | Postseason |
| 1984-85 | Kent State (AC) | 17-13 | 11-7 | 4th | MAC: Semifinal | NIT: First Round |
| 1985-86 | Kent State (AC) | 11-16 | 7-11 | t-6th | -- | -- |
| 1986-87 | Kent State (AC) | 19-10 | 11-5 | 2nd | MAC: Runner-up | -- |
| 1987-88 | Kent State (AC) | 10-18 | 6-10 | t-6th | MAC: Quarterfinal | -- |
| 1988-89 | Kent State (AC) | 21-10 | 12-4 | 2nd | MAC: Runner-up | NIT: First Round |
| 1989-90 | Michigan (AC) | 23-8 | 12-6 | 3rd | -- | NCAA: Second Round |
| 1990-91 | Michigan (AC) | 14-15 | 7-11 | 8th | -- | NIT: First Round |
| 1991-92 | Michigan (AC) | 25-9 | 11-7 | t-3rd | -- | NCAA: Runner-up |
| 1992-93 | Michigan (AC) | 31-5 | 15-3 | 2nd | -- | NCAA: Runner-up |
| 1993-94 | Michigan (AC) | 24-8 | 13-5 | 2nd | -- | NCAA: Elite Eight |
| 1994-95 | Michigan (AC) | 17-14 | 11-7 | 3rd | -- | NCAA: First Round |
| 1995-96 | Michigan (AC) | 20-12 | 10-8 | 5th | -- | NCAA: First Round |
| 1996-97 | Grand Valley State (HC) | 23-6 | 14-3 | 1st (North) | GLIAC: Champions | NCAA II: Regional |
| 1997-98 | Central Michigan (HC) | 5-21 | 3-15 | 6th (West) | -- | -- |
| 1998-99 | Central Michigan (HC) | 10-16 | 7-11 | 3rd (West) | -- | -- |
| 1999-2000 | Central Michigan (HC) | 6-23 | 2-16 | 6th (West) | MAC: First Round | -- |
| 2000-01 | Central Michigan (HC) | 20-8 | 14-4 | 1st (West) | MAC: Quarterfinal | -- |
| 2001-02 | Central Michigan (HC) | 9-19 | 5-13 | 5th (West) | MAC: First Round | -- |
| 2002-03 | Central Michigan (HC) | 25-7 | 14-4 | 1st (West) | MAC: Champions | NCAA: Second Round |
| 2003-04 | Central Michigan (HC) | 6-24 | 2-16 | 7th (West) | MAC: First Round | -- |
| 2004-05 | Central Michigan (HC) | 10-18 | 4-14 | 7th (West) | MAC: First Round | -- |
| 2005-06 | Central Michigan (HC) | 4-24 | 1-17 | 6th (West) | MAC: First Round | -- |
| 2006-07 | Did Not Coach | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2007-08 | Did Not Coach | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2008-09 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 7-23 | 2-16 | 10th | HL: First Round | -- |
| 2009-10 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 20-14 | 9-9 | 7th | HL: First Round | -- |
| 2010-11 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 17-16 | 10-8 | t-5th | HL: First Round | -- |
| 2011-12 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 22-14 | 11-7 | t-3rd | HL: First Round | NCAA: First Round |
| 2012-13 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 20-13 | 12-4 | 2nd | HL: First Round | NIT: First Round |
| 2013-14 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 13-19 | 6-10 | t-7th | HL: First Round | -- |
| 2014-15 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 15-18 | 7-9 | 6th | HL: First Round | -- |
| 2015-16 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 16-15 | 9-9 | 6th | HL: First Round | -- |
| 2016-17 | Kalamazoo College (HC) | 7-17 | 3-11 | 7th | -- | -- |
| 2017-18 | Kalamazoo College (HC) | 8-17 | 3-11 | 8th | -- | -- |
| 2018-19 | Kalamazoo College (HC) | 7-18 | 4-10 | t-6th | -- | -- |
| 2019-20 | Michigan (DOPP) | 19-12 | 10-10 | 9th | canceled (covid-19) | canceled (covid-19) |
| 2020-21 | Michigan (DOPP) | 23-5 | 14-3 | 1st | BTT Semifinal | NCAA: Elite Eight |
| 2021-22 | Michigan (DOPP) | 19-15 | 11-9 | 8th | BTT Second Round | NCAA: Sweet 16 |
| 2022-23 | Michigan (DOPP) | 18-16 | 11-9 | t-5th | BTT Second Round | NIT: Second Round |
| 2023-24 | Michigan (DOPP) | 0-0 | 0-0 | -- |
Career Record
| Years | School | Overall | Conference | Seasons |
| 1984-89 | Kent State (AC) | 78-67 | 47-37 | 5 |
| 1989-96 | Michigan (AC) | 154-71 | 79-47 | 7 |
| 1996-97 | Grand Valley State (HC) | 23-6 | 14-4 | 1 |
| 1997-2006 | Central Michigan (HC) | 95-160 | 52-110 | 9 |
| 2008-16 | Detroit Mercy (AC) | 130-132 | 66-72 | 8 |
| 2016-19 | Kalamazoo College (HC) | 22-52 | 10-32 | 3 |
| 2019-present | Michigan (DOPP) | 79-48 | 46-31 | 5 |
| Career | 581-536 | 314-333 | 38 | |
| as Head Coach | 140-218 | 76-146 | 13 | |
| as Assistant Coach | 362-270 | 192-156 | 20 | |
| as Support Staff | 79-48 | 46-31 | 5 |
