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University of Massachusets Athletics
Staff Directory
Smith, Kyle
Kyle Smith
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
Kyle Smith ’14, a former standout attack for the University of Massachusetts, was named the fifth head coach in program history on August 29, 2025. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in the summer of 2021 and was promoted to associate head coach on Greg Cannella’s staff in the summer of 2024. He enters his fifth season at his alma mater in 2026 and first as head coach.
During Smith's tenure back with the Gorillas, Matt Knote earned Third Team USILA All-America honors and his players have combined for 13 Atlantic 10 All-Conference awards, eight NEILA All-New England selections, 47 NEILA All-Academic Team awards and five Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team honors.
Smith returned to Amherst following a seven-year stint with Merrimack men's lacrosse, where he helped the Warriors to two Division II National Championships.
Smith served as an assistant coach for the Warriors from 2014-2019 before being promoted to associate head coach in August 2019, helping the program transition from Division II to Division I.
In Merrimack's two seasons at the Division I level, Smith coached two all-conference freshman team selections, one first-team all-conference honoree and one second-team all-conference player and helped guide the Warriors to a .500 record in just their second season of DI lacrosse.
In five years as a Division II assistant coach, Smith was a part of the most successful era of Merrimack Lacrosse in program history as the squad advanced to the Final Four in both 2015 and 2016 before reaching the title game in 2017 followed by back-to-back National Championships in 2018 and 2019. The Warriors enjoyed unprecedented offensive success during that stretch with the help of Smith's guidance, consistently ranking among the nation's leaders in scoring offense and EMO statistics. In addition to the pair of national titles, Merrimack also won a Northeast 10 Conference Tournament title in 2018, were Co-Northeast 10 Regular Season Champions in 2019 and were five-time New England Champions (2015-19) during Smith's tenure.
At Merrimack, Smith coached 28 All-American selections, 41 All NE-10 selections, 48 All-NEILA selections, 4 NEILA Player of the Year recipients, nine First Team All-Americans, two DII Player of the Year honorees, one DII Midfielder of the Year, one DII Defensemen of the Year, two DII Attackman of the Year honorees, one DII Faceoff Specialist of the Year, one DII Short Stick Defensive Midfielder of the Year, one DII Longstick Midfielder of the Year, two NE-10 Players of the Year, two NE-10 Defensive Players of the Year, two NE-10 Rookies of the Year and two NCAA Championship Game MVPs. He also mentored eight MLL Supplemental Draft picks and 1 MLL and PLL collegiate draftee.
The Warriors posted a record of 78-14 in Smith's five Division II seasons at Merrimack, including an 11-3 mark in NCAA Tournament play.
During his career at UMass, Smith was a three-year starting attack over his four seasons (2010-13) with the Minutemen, earned an All-CAA Second Team recognition in 2013 and a CAA All-Tournament team nod in 2012 after helping UMass to the Colonial Athletic Association title and an NCAA Tournament berth. Over his four seasons with the Minutemen, Smith compiled 125 points on 79 goals and 46 assists to go along with 69 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers. He had 17 extra-man goals and nine game winters to his credit with 31 multi-point games in 60 career appearances, including 17 multi-goal games and a dozen hat tricks.
Smith's father, Norman Smith '79, was a two-time All-American at the University of Massachusetts and is a member of the New England Lacrosse Hall of Fame, UMass Athletics Hall of Fame, Western Massachusetts Hall of Fame and the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Smith's grandfather, Neville Smith, is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Upon graduating from UMass, Smith played professionally for the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse from 2013-15. He earned his undergraduate degree in hospitality and tourism management from the Isenberg School of Management in 2014 and went on to receive his master’s from Northeastern in sports leadership in 2016.
Updated: August, 26 2025
During Smith's tenure back with the Gorillas, Matt Knote earned Third Team USILA All-America honors and his players have combined for 13 Atlantic 10 All-Conference awards, eight NEILA All-New England selections, 47 NEILA All-Academic Team awards and five Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team honors.
Smith returned to Amherst following a seven-year stint with Merrimack men's lacrosse, where he helped the Warriors to two Division II National Championships.
Smith served as an assistant coach for the Warriors from 2014-2019 before being promoted to associate head coach in August 2019, helping the program transition from Division II to Division I.
In Merrimack's two seasons at the Division I level, Smith coached two all-conference freshman team selections, one first-team all-conference honoree and one second-team all-conference player and helped guide the Warriors to a .500 record in just their second season of DI lacrosse.
In five years as a Division II assistant coach, Smith was a part of the most successful era of Merrimack Lacrosse in program history as the squad advanced to the Final Four in both 2015 and 2016 before reaching the title game in 2017 followed by back-to-back National Championships in 2018 and 2019. The Warriors enjoyed unprecedented offensive success during that stretch with the help of Smith's guidance, consistently ranking among the nation's leaders in scoring offense and EMO statistics. In addition to the pair of national titles, Merrimack also won a Northeast 10 Conference Tournament title in 2018, were Co-Northeast 10 Regular Season Champions in 2019 and were five-time New England Champions (2015-19) during Smith's tenure.
At Merrimack, Smith coached 28 All-American selections, 41 All NE-10 selections, 48 All-NEILA selections, 4 NEILA Player of the Year recipients, nine First Team All-Americans, two DII Player of the Year honorees, one DII Midfielder of the Year, one DII Defensemen of the Year, two DII Attackman of the Year honorees, one DII Faceoff Specialist of the Year, one DII Short Stick Defensive Midfielder of the Year, one DII Longstick Midfielder of the Year, two NE-10 Players of the Year, two NE-10 Defensive Players of the Year, two NE-10 Rookies of the Year and two NCAA Championship Game MVPs. He also mentored eight MLL Supplemental Draft picks and 1 MLL and PLL collegiate draftee.
The Warriors posted a record of 78-14 in Smith's five Division II seasons at Merrimack, including an 11-3 mark in NCAA Tournament play.
During his career at UMass, Smith was a three-year starting attack over his four seasons (2010-13) with the Minutemen, earned an All-CAA Second Team recognition in 2013 and a CAA All-Tournament team nod in 2012 after helping UMass to the Colonial Athletic Association title and an NCAA Tournament berth. Over his four seasons with the Minutemen, Smith compiled 125 points on 79 goals and 46 assists to go along with 69 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers. He had 17 extra-man goals and nine game winters to his credit with 31 multi-point games in 60 career appearances, including 17 multi-goal games and a dozen hat tricks.
Smith's father, Norman Smith '79, was a two-time All-American at the University of Massachusetts and is a member of the New England Lacrosse Hall of Fame, UMass Athletics Hall of Fame, Western Massachusetts Hall of Fame and the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Smith's grandfather, Neville Smith, is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Upon graduating from UMass, Smith played professionally for the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse from 2013-15. He earned his undergraduate degree in hospitality and tourism management from the Isenberg School of Management in 2014 and went on to receive his master’s from Northeastern in sports leadership in 2016.
Updated: August, 26 2025
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