FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 27, 2022) – Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Mike Smith agreed to a contract which will keep him at NAU for the next five years. Smith took control of the program in 2017 and has seen historic success.
Smith's men's cross country team has won four NCAA National Championships in five years, and the men's and women's cross country and track & field squads have won a total of 24 Big Sky Championships.
During his tenure at Northern Arizona University, Smith has earned 23 Big Sky Coach of the Year awards, 5 Chick Hislop Awards for USTFCCCA Mountain Region Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, 5 USTFCCCA Mountain Region Coach of the Year awards, 4 Bill Dellinger Awards for the National Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, and 1 USTFCCCA National Men's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year awards.
After taking full control of the program in 2017, Smith led the men's cross country team to their second consecutive NCAA Championship. The following year the team won again, marking the first three-peat since the 1998, 1999, and 2000 Arkansas squads. NAU also became the first non-power five school to win at least three consecutive national championships since the 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 UTEP teams.
After the streak ended in 2019, NAU's men's cross country team bounced back during the uncertain 2020 season, winning their fourth national championship in five year. They followed this by repeating as champions in 2021.
The 2022 indoor track & field season was also a high point in Smith's tenure at NAU, with the men's team sending three athletes to the NCAA Indoor Championships, earning 29 points to place 4
th. This was the highest NCAA Indoors finish in school history. Smith also had one athlete,
Abdihamid Nur, earn individual titles in both the 3000-meter and 5000-meter.
The women's track & field team had a historic season as well, scoring 244 points in their win at the Big Sky Championships, the most in Big Sky history. Smith ended the track season taking home both the men's and women's Coach of the Year awards.
Smith and the Lumberjacks will open their cross country season on Sept. 3 at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff, Ariz.
