Jessica Smith Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 5th Year Alma Mater: Rhode Island '95

Following three highly-successful years as head girls basketball coach at Bishop Hartley High School, Jessica Smith joined Miami University's women's basketball program as an assistant coach prior to the 2001-02 campaign.

A 1995 graduate of Rhode Island, Smith served as a student-assistant coach with the Rams from 1992-95 and was hired as a full-time assistant for the 1995-96 season. During that season, Rhode Island made its first NCAA Tournament appearance while capturing a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship. Smith spent the next two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Fordham before accepting the reins at Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio, in 1998.

During a prolific tenure at Bishop Hartley, Smith led the Hawks to a remarkable three-year tally of 66-12 that included three Central Catholic League (CCL) titles, three district championships, two regional crowns, two Ohio Final Four appearances and a state championship in 2000. Following the team's state championship in 2000, Smith was honored as the Ohio Coach of the Year by the Ohio Coaches Association, Associated Press and the Columbus Dispatch.

Smith, who earned her master's degree in educational administration from The Ohio State University in 2000, serves as Miami's recruiting coordinator, while also working with the post players, team conditioning and scouting.

Under Smith's guidance, three of Miami's post players have assumed their places among the program's all-time elite.

Colleen Day and Kim Lancaster each surpassed 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds in their careers--something only five other Miami players had achieved-- with Lancaster completing her career ranked fourth all-time at Miami in scoring (1,413) and Day ranking fourth all-time in rebounding (794). Both earned all-MAC honors, with Day finishing second in MAC Player of the Year voting.

Last season, Kim Smith finished her career as one of the program's top all-time rebounders, clearing 591 career rebounds to rank eighth on the Miami charts.