University of Massachusets Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2018
- Class:
- 1979
Two-time all-American and three-time all-New England choice Norm Smith’s impact on the Massachusetts men’s lacrosse program can still be felt nearly 40 years after Smith competed in his final contest with the team.
Smith posted career totals of 140 points, 74 goals and 66 assists, and had at least 25 points in each of his four years with the team, one of only 12 all-time men’s lacrosse student-athletes to achieve such consistency. Upon graduation, Smith stood sixth all-time in points, tied for sixth in assists and eighth in goals.
Smith's offensive impact helped the program reach three NCAA Tournaments; one each in 1976, 1977 and 1979, while Massachusetts recorded 38 wins over his four seasons with the program. The 1976 NCAA berth marked the first for the program and legendary head coach Dick Garber.
Additionally, Smith and his son, Kyle (2010-13; 125 points), rank as only one of two father-and-son duos in the UMass 100-Point Club in the more-than-six-decade history of the program.
An ardent supporter of UMass men's lacrosse, Smith and his family remained active members of the Massachusetts men's lacrosse family in a number of ways. They contributed through the Laxbackers - the official UMass men's lacrosse booster club - to numerous facility and team-specific improvements, while Smith would return to campus to provide words of wisdom, strength and encouragement to current members of the program. Additionally, Smith was also a long-time contributor to UMass men’s lacrosse as a play analyst for the program’s radio and live stream broadcasts.
Well known for his contributions to the game throughout the region, Smith was a Class of 2017 inductee into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Western Massachusetts Chapter and was inducted into the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018. He was also enshrined in the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame's Connecticut Chapter and into the New England Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
He passed away in 2021 following a valiant battle against glioblastoma.
