Temple University Athletics
Kerry Smith Hired as Women's Soccer Assistant Coach
8.19.13 | Women's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA— Kerry Smith has been hired as an assistant coach for the Temple women's soccer team, beginning in August, 2013. Smith replaces Seamus O'Connor, who was promoted to head coach in June of this year. She brings with her six years as a NCAA Division I assistant coach, 15 years of overall coaching experience, and 19 years of playing experience.
"I am excited to add a coach with the experience of Kerry," O'Connor said. "She has had a lot of success with past recruiting classes, and I am looking forward to her helping us with our future recruiting classes. Our program will benefit from her working with our attackers as we go up against some of the best defenders in the country that play in the American Athletic Conference."
Kerry Smith joins Temple's women's soccer staff after serving two years as a graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville State, where she earned her master's degree in emergency management. Coaching the offense, Smith helped the Gamecocks score almost three times more goals and four times as many assists in her first year. In 2012, she helped lead the Gamecocks to their first winning season (10-8-2) since 2003 after winning only two games the previous season. Nine of her players earned Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week awards.
Smith came to JSU after two seasons on the soccer staff at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. At UMBC, she recruited one of the strongest incoming classes in program history, including two All-Conference Freshmen. Smith coached the goalkeepers and defensive unit. She helped turn the academics around, going from having players being ineligible to earning NSCAA Academic Awards.
Prior to her stint at UMBC, she served as an assistant coach at Virginia Military Institute, Smith helped the Keydets to their most successful season ever in 2008, when they posted the program's most overall wins (10), most conference wins (5) and first-ever postseason victory. VMI was listed as one of the top 25 most improved Division I teams in the nation, jumping from eight in the Big South standings (1-7-0) in 2007 into a tie for second (5-3-1) in 2008.
As the goalkeepers' coach, Smith saw the Keydets establish new school records in shutouts (6), save percentage (.819) and goals-against average (1.30) for the second straight season.
Smith has also served as the head coach for the Plantation (Fla.) Eagles Soccer Club, working with several age groups during her tenure there, and she has worked with a number of soccer camps at top-level college programs in both coaching and directing roles, as well.
Smith was a four-year letter winner at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. She also played for the Miami Kickers of the Women's Professional Soccer League in 2007.
A native of Leeds, England, Smith has played soccer at the highest level with Leeds United Ladies and the Doncaster Belles of the English Premier League.
Smith earned her bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing from Nova Southeastern in 2006.
