Bowling Green State University Athletics
BG Selects Assistant Hockey Coach
August 10, 2000 | Ice Hockey
Aug. 10, 2000
Bowling Green State University Head Hockey Coach Buddy Powers announced that Dave Smith has accepted an assistant coaching position with the Falcon hockey program. He replaces Eric Hoffberg, who resigned in May to pursue other coaching and professional opportunities. Smith will begin his duties at BGSU on August 14.
"We think we have a great person in Dave. He is well versed in the CCHA and has a strong recruiting background," stated Powers. "He will do a great job working with our current players."
"I am extremely excited to work at Bowling Green with Buddy Powers and Brian Hills," said Smith. "Bowling Green has a great hockey tradition and I am looking forward to helping the program move forward in a positive direction."
Smith completed his second season at Miami University this past spring. Prior to joining the RedHawk coaching staff, he had a six-year minor-league hockey career in which he played in the International Hockey League (IHL), the American Hockey League (AHL) and the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
A 1992 graduate of the Ohio State University, Smith received his bachelor's degree in journalism/public relations and was named the team captain as a junior. During his four-year career as a Buckeye, Smith posted impressive career numbers, ending his career as Ohio State's 21st all-time leading scorer with 140 points. As a senior, he was named the team's MVP and led OSU with 63 points and 41 assists.
Since leaving Ohio State, Smith played for seven different minor league hockey teams, including the Fort Wayne Komets, Detroit Vipers and Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL. As a Komet, Smith helped Fort Wayne to two consecutive Turner Cup finals (1993 and 1994) and their first IHL Championship in 20 years (1993). In 1993, he contributed seven goals and six assists in the 25 games for the Komets after being called up from the ECHL. In each of his six years as a professional, Smith scored at least 20 goals.
In his summers since graduating from OSU, Smith has gathered a great deal of experience in coaching young adults as a director and head instructor at numerous camps across the United States and Canada. He has been involved in running various camps from Binghamton, N.Y. to Long Beach, California the last couple of years.
Smith and his wife, Susan, have two daughters Ellis (3) and Kylie (2).
