CBU Announces Hiring of Sean Smith to Head the Cross Country and Track Program
7/15/2024 1:00:00 PM | General, Cross Country & Track
RIVERSIDE--- California Baptist University announced the hiring of Sean Smith as the ninth Head Coach of the cross-country and track program in school history on Monday afternoon. Coach Smith spent the last three seasons with the Azusa Pacific Cougars, where he was the Head Cross-Country Coach and Assistant Distance Coach for Track.
"There was a huge interest in this job. Our search committee interviewed coaches from all over the country at every level of competition. Sean is a mission fit who has done really well without the resources we have. He is excited to continue the legacy that Ben Gall and Adam Tribble established. I'm excited for the future of both programs," said Vice President for Athletics Dr. Micah Parker.
"I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Parker, and the entire search committee for entrusting me with this program. I feel blessed for God's provision as I know he has been constantly at work in my life. I have followed CBU athletics for a long time and have appreciated the level of excellence found at every level this sport has to offer," stated Coach Smith on joining the Lancers.
In Smith's final season with the Cougars, he led the men's cross-country team to a 10th-place finish at Nationals while leading the women to a 10th-place regional finish. During outdoor season, Smith helped assist the men's squad to a 6th place finish and the women to a bronze medal. During his tenure, Coach Smith was a part of two Track and Field National titles at the Division II level, helping the Cougars hoist the trophy in 2021 and 2023.
Smith has numerous coaching credits to his name prior to his time with the Cougars, including stops at Notre Dame de Namur, Gillette College, and Chico State. While at Chico State, Coach Smith was a part of three national title teams, six conference championships, and eight cross-country All-Americans. On the track, Smith helped coach the Wildcats to five conference titles and 16 All-Americans and oversaw five new program records.
Coach Smith was an accomplished runner and athlete in his own right while competing at St. Francis in Illinois and Lewis University. He was an All-Great Lakes Conference honoree and helped lead the Lewis Flyers to the GLVC Indoor Title in 2014. At St. Francis, Smith was the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Cross Country Freshman of the Year in 2009 and then was named the CCAC Runner of the Year the following year, helping the Fighting Saints win their first-ever conference cross country title. Smith earned All-America honors on the track in the 5,000-meter run and the 4×800-meter relay.
Coach Smith will inherit a program that has won eight cross-country conference titles since becoming a DI program in 2018 and has reaped over 120 All-Conference awards in that span. The program has seen incredible national success over the past two seasons since becoming a full-fledged DI member, sending both teams to Cross-Country Nationals a season ago and sending four athletes to the national stage during outdoor season.
"The team is loaded with talented and hard-working individuals, and while I need to meet with them and learn more about them, I feel very good about where the program is and what we can do this upcoming season. I think this team is going to do something incredibly special this Fall," remarked Coach Smith.
The 2024 Lancer cross-country season is set to commence in early September, with the formal schedule yet to be announced.
