OU Names Martin Smith Head Track Coach

NORMAN, Okla. -- Martin Smith, who has coached five national championship teams during a 26-year tenure on the NCAA Division I level, is the new men's and women's track and field and cross country coach at Oklahoma. OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione made the announcement today.

Smith, 53, has been head cross country coach or head cross country and track and field coach at George Mason, Virginia, Wisconsin and, most recently, Oregon, where he was director of men's and women's track and field and cross country from 2003 through March of this year when he resigned. He was men's track and field and cross country head coach at UO from 1998-2003 when he assumed control of all of the track and field and cross country programs.

He has been the head coach or an assistant for teams that combined for 24 conference championships, including the 2003 Pac-10 outdoor title he won with Oregon.

“This is a very exciting day for our track and field and cross country programs,” Castiglione said. “Martin Smith has earned the respect and admiration of many throughout the national and international track and field communities. He has an impressive record of achievement everywhere he has been. His student-athletes excel both on and off the track and understand that the championship mentality can apply to all of their life's pursuits.”

“His professional and personal references led us to the conclusion that he is the person which can best represent the values of our program and can build a program of national stature. We look forward to having him join our Sooner family.”

Smith said he was thrilled with the prospects at Oklahoma.

“There is a lot of work to be done, but it's exciting to think about all of us pulling together to build the programs,” he said. “It's going to require a great partnership between the coaches and student-athletes, and if we work diligently, I believe we can create something special that will last.”

Smith said a number of things attracted him to Oklahoma, not the least of which were Castiglione and John Jacobs Field, which is just one year removed from a major renovation that left it as one of the finest track and field facilities in the Midwest.

“The most important thing to me was my interaction with and the commitment from Mr. Castiglione,” Smith said. “He has a very strong and well-grounded approach to intercollegiate sports. That was the most powerful factor for me.”

“The facilities are excellent and will be a tremendous asset in recruiting and coaching. The track facility speaks to the commitment from the university and reflects an environment that promotes individual and team excellence. When you are surrounded by other coaches and teams with high standards, it creates a championship environment and the track programs are excited to be part of that at the University of Oklahoma.”

Smith guided Oregon to nine NCAA top 20 team finishes, while mentoring individuals who claimed 48 All-America honors and 17 Pac-10 titles.

In his most recent season, the 2004-05 indoor campaign, Smith led the Duck men to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA meet, tops among the Pac-10 schools. UO sent nine qualifiers to the NCAA meet with eight achieving All-America honors.

Oregon realized outdoor success under Smith, too. The men's team was second, first and second in his last three Pac-10 meets (2002-04) and was ninth in the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Other strong finishes with the Ducks included a 13th place finish at nationals in the 2003 NCAA Outdoor and a 2003 men's Pac-10 Outdoor title (the first for Oregon since 1993). In the fall of that school year, the Oregon cross country team was fifth at nationals.

The 2002 indoor men's team was ninth at the NCAA Championships and Smith earned conference and region coach of the year honors.

In 2001, Smith led Oregon's men to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Smith said a similar model to what he used at Oregon will be implemented at Oklahoma.

“We'll take pieces of that,” he said. “At Oregon we had a very balanced team that covered almost all of the major disciplines. We want to carry that part of the blueprint to Oklahoma. We'll try to build a balanced program that can compete on a conference and national level.

“I think that's a fair and realistic goal. In time we want to build a model program and have young people that are great ambassadors for our university.”

Prior to his move to Oregon, Smith spent 1993-98 coaching the men's cross country team at Wisconsin, while serving as assistant men's track and field coach.

He coached two men's national championship cross country teams there (1985, 1988), and his teams won 12 Big Ten titles. Thirty-three of his runners were All-Americans and one was the national champion.

On the track, Smith helped UW to 10 NCAA top 20 finishes and nine Big Ten titles. He coached 49 NCAA All-Americans and 32 individual Big Ten champions.

Smith was head men's and women's cross country coach at Virginia from 1980-83. There he coached the women's cross country team to national championships in 1981 and 1982.

His first job in the college ranks came in 1979 when he served as men's cross country coach and assistant men's track and field coach at George Mason.

A native of Alexandria, Va., Smith attended Bridgewater College and graduated in 1974 with degrees in history and political science. He was married to Renee Schwister on Feb. 12, 1999, and Renee has one son, Ross.

At Oklahoma, Smith replaces co-head coaches Jill Lancaster and Rodney Price, who resigned June 14.

Employment History
2003-2005 University of Oregon, Dir., M/W Track and Field and Cross Country
1998-2005 University of Oregon, Head Coach Men's T/F and Cross Country
1983-98 University of Wisconsin, Head Coach Men's Cross Country; Asst. Coach, Men's T/F
1980-83 University of Virginia, Head coach M/W Cross Country, Asst. Coach M/W T/F
1979-80 George Mason University, Head coach Men's Cross Country; Asst. coach Men's T/F
1975-79 Oakton HS (Va.) Head Coach Men's Indoor T/F; Asst. coach Men's CC and Outdoor T/F

Personal
Date of Birth: Dec. 16, 1951
Wife: Renee
Hometown: Alexandria, Va.
Education: Bridgewater College (Va.) B.A., History/Political Science
Athletics Career: Varsity cross country, basketball and track at Bridgewater

Smith's Accomplishment's:

OREGON
Men's Cross Country Summary
Three NCAA national top 6 finishes
10 NCAA individual All-Americans
Four Pac-10 Team second place finishes
One Pac-10 individual champion
Two NCAA West Regional second-place finishes

Men's Track and Field Summary
Four NCAA Top 10 team finishes
Four national individual champions
48 NCAA individual All-Americans
One Pac-10 team championship (2003)
Two Pac-10 team runner-up finishes (2002, 2004)
17 Pac-10 individual champions

Men's Academic Summary
11 Academic All-Americans
25 Academic All-Pac-10 selections

Women's Cross Country
One NCAA All-American

Women's Track and Field Summary
One NCAA individual All-American

Women's Academic Summary
One Academic All-American
11 Academic All-Pac-10 selections

WISCONSIN
Men's Cross Country Summary
NCAA national team champions (1985, 1988)
NCAA national individual champion (1985)
Nine NCAA national top five finishes
33 NCAA All-Americans
12 Big Ten team championships
Four Big Ten individual champions
10 NCAA District VI team championships

Men's Track and Field Summary
Ten NCAA top 20 team finishes
NCAA distance medley relay champions (1985)
NCAA individual champion 3,000 meter steeplechase (1993, 1997)
NCAA individual champion 5,000 meters (1996)
Nine Big Ten championships
32 Big Ten individual champions

VIRGINIA
Men's and Women's Cross Country Summary
NCAA women's national champions 1981, 1982
NCAA women's individual champion (1982
TAC women's national champions (1982)
TAC individual champion (1982)
11 NCAA All-Americans
Two ACC women's team championships
One ACC individual champion
Two NCAA women's District III team championships

Men's and Women's Track and Field Summary
AIAW national champions (1981)
Two AIAW national individual champions
NCAA and AIAW top 10 finishes (1981-83)
17 NCAA and AIAW All-American

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Names Martin Smith Head Track Coach

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