Honors & Accomplishments

NSCAA Far West Region Assistant Coach of the Year – 2014

Heartland Conference Coach of the Year – 2006, 2007

Education

B.A., History, Rollins, 1996

M.A., Curriculum and Instruction, Cal State Bakersfield

At Cornell

Entering his his eighth season on East Hill, John Smith has guided Cornell men’s soccer to four consecutive 10-win seasons, a feat never accomplished in program history.

During the four-year window with at least 10 wins, Cornell has posted a combined record of 46-18-5 (.703), including a 16-8-4 mark (.643) in Ivy League action.

The 2022 campaign was Cornell's best under Smith as it registered a .763 win percentage thanks to a 14-4-1 overall record. In Ivy League play, Cornell finished in second place for the second consecutive season after going 5-1-1 in Ancient Eight play. Offense was the Big Red's strong suit as it established program records in assists (40) and points (120). Cornell's 40 goals scored were the fourth time in program history it had reached the 40-goal plateau, joining the 1971, 1995, and 2012 campaigns.

Along with its offensive success, Cornell averaged a shade over one goal allowed per game (1.01), leading to freshman Ryan Friedberg in being named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year — the fourth first-year goalkeeper to be awarded the top newcomer by the Ivy League. Due to the Big Red's stout defense, Cornell made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2012, reaching the Third Round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship where it lost to Syracuse, 1-0. Prior to its setback to the Orange, Cornell defeated Maryland, 2-1, in a second-round match at Berman Field. Then-sophomore Danny Lokko scored twice in the victory for Cornell. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Cornell had seven players receive All-Ivy distinctions, including Connor Drought, Emeka Eneli, and Brandon Morales being named First Team All-Ivy selections.

In 2021, the Big Red posted an 11-3-2 overall record and a 4-2-1 mark in Ivy League play, highlighted by Tyler Bagley's 14 goals and finishing the year as the Division I leader in points per game. Bagley was a unanimous All-Ivy League first team selection. Joining Bagley in earning All-Ivy League first team honors were Emeka Eneli and Wilson Eisner. For the second straight year, Cornell finished unbeaten at Berman Field, posting a 6-0-2 record.

Cornell turned in a strong 2019 campaign despite a number of injuries to key players throughout the year, finishing the season with a 10-5-2 record and a 3-2-2 mark in Ivy League competition. The Big Red went undefeated at home, going 6-0-1 at Berman Field. Cornell placed five members of the All-Ivy teams, including Ryan Bayne (first team), John Scearce (first team), Connor Drought (second team), Emeka Eneli (honorable mention) and Harry Fuller (honorable mention). Scearce earned second team all-region honors before signing a professional contract with Union Omaha of the USL One league.

In his third season, Smith led the Big Red to an overall of 11-6, an impressive turnaround from a team that won one game is first season at the helm. Despite a large amount of youth on the Big Red’s 2018 roster, the Big Red managed to win 11 games, the program’s most since 2012. Of the 28 members of the team, 21 were underclassmen. The Big Red navigated through its lack of experience and led the Ivy League in goals per game with an average of 1.77. 

After having a 1-14-2 overall record in his first year at the helm of the Cornell men's soccer program in 2016, the team saw a tremendous turnaround in 2017, emerging with a 7-8-2 record and a 2-4-1 showing in Ivy League play. Under Smith’s guidance, the Big Red earned a signature victory over No. 11 Syracuse in overtime, giving Cornell its first win against the Orange since 2001. The squad also saw a massive improvement in its offensive production, netting 22 goals — the third most in the Ivy League — to mark a 10-goal improvement from the previous season. His guidance on the sidelines was also crucial to the team’s success in tight overtime games, as the Big Red went undefeated in five of the six overtime contests they played in.

In his seven years on East Hill, Smith has coached 19 players who have combined for 27 All-Ivy honors, including Emeka Eneli and Ryan Friedberg being named Ivy League Rookies of the Year in 2018 and 2022, respecetively. Along with All-Ivy honors, Charles Touche (2018 All-Northeast Region Third Team), John Scearce (2019 Second Team All-Northeast Region), and Eneli (First Team All-Northeast Region) are the lone Big Red players to garner regional awards under Smith.

Cornell Men's Soccer All-Ivy Honorees Under John Smith

Player

All-Ivy Team (Year)

George Pedlow

Second Team (2016)

Ryan Watters

Honorable Mention (2016)

Richie Hrncir

Second Team (2017)

Tommy Hansan

Honorable Mention (2017)

Charles Touche

First Team (2018)

Emeka Eneli

Second Team (2018)

Honorable Mention (2019)

First Team (2021, 2022)

Tate Keir

Second Team (2018)

John Scearce

Honorable Mention (2018)

First Team (2019)

Ryan Bayne

First Team (2019)

Connor Drought

Second Team (2019)

First Team (2022)

Harry Fuller

Honorable Mention (2019)

Second Team (2021)

Tyler Bagley

First Team (2021)

Jonah Kagen

Second Team (2021)

Wilson Eisner

First Team (2021)

Brandon Morales

First Team (2022)

Lalo Serrano

Second Team (2022)

Ryan Friedberg

Ivy League Rookie of the Year (2022)

Honorable Mention (2022)

Andrew Johnson

Honorable Mention (2022)

Cam Maquat

Honorable Mention (2022)

Prior to Cornell

In 2015, Smith's fourth season with the Stanford program, and his second as associate head coach, Smith aided the Cardinal to its first national title in program history when it defeated Clemson, 4-0, marking the most goals scored in an NCAA Championship Game since 1996. The four-goal margin of victory was the largest since 1975. Smith served on the coaching staff that produced a pair of First-Team All-Americans, a program-record five All-Far West Regional selections, the Hermann Award winner, a Second-Team Senior CLASS selection, four Major League Soccer draft picks, and two U.S. Men's National Team players. He helped lead the program to an 18-2-3 record in 2015, the team's most wins since 2002, and a 7-1-2 mark in conference play, setting a program record for Pac-12 wins.

In 2014, Smith was named NSCAA Far West Region Assistant Coach of the Year as the Cardinal claimed its first Pac-12 Championship since 2001, while having an overall record of 13-3-3.

Working primarily with Stanford's strikers, Smith helped Jordan Morris develop into one of the nation's best as Morris became a two-time All-American, the 2015 Hermann Award Winner, an MLS signee, and the first active college player to receive a cap for the U.S. Men's National Team since 1995. In 2012, Smith's first year with the program, he worked with Adam Jahn, who went on to have a career year by leading the Pac-12 with 13 goals, the most from a Stanford player since 2001, ultimately leading Jahn to being drafted into the MLS.

Smith has also had success in recruiting, bringing the nation's sixth-best recruiting class to Stanford in 2014, according to College Soccer News. His 2015 and 2013 classes were both ranked 11th in the country. Those players helped Stanford amass a 50-20-11 record during his time in Palo Alto.

Prior to his arrival at Stanford, Smith spent six seasons as head coach of Incarnate Word, a then-Division II power, where he amassed a 62-26-10 record and won three consecutive Heartland Conference Championships and two straight Coach of the Year awards. He coached four All-Americans, five Academic All-Americans, and three future professional players.

Smith took his first coaching job at Cal St. Bakersfield where he served as an assistant coach while aiding the Roadrunners to a California Collegiate Athletic Association title and two postseason appearances. The team produced four All-Americans and six future professionals in Smith's time with the program.

Playing Career

As a player, Smith was a member of Wigan Athletic Football Club's first team at age 16. He spent three years with Wigan before moving to Oldham Athletic Football Club, which was in England's top division at the time. In his lone season with Oldham FC, the team advanced to the semifinals of the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Smith came to the United States for college, playing at Rollins, where he was a two-time All-American and broke a 26-year-old program record for points (142) on 50 goals and 42 assists. Smith was named the 1996 Sunshine State Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was inducted into the conference's Hall of Fame in 2004.

In 1997, Smith was selected 13th overall in the MLS draft by the Columbus Crew. He spent two seasons in the A-League representing the Nashville Metros, Rochester Rhinos and Hershey Wildcats. He led Nashville in points, earning an All-A League Second Team nod and helping the team to a Central Division title.

Personal

A native of Manchester, England, Smith holds a bachelor's degree in history from Rollins College and a master's in curriculum and instruction from Cal St. Bakersfield. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons, Isaac and Jacob.

Updated June 2023