Cumberland to host softball clinics
CUMBERLAND — The Cumberland High softball program will be holding clinics at the school’s Wellness Center on Saturday, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25 from noon to 3 p.m.
Each three-hour session will include defensive and offensive skill work.
The price for one session is $30 and $50 for both sessions. The clinics are for softball players ages 10 and up.
To sign up e-mail chssoftballclinic2018@ gmail. com. If you have any questions, e-mail Cumberland High coach Marty Crowley at martin. crowley@ cumberlandschools.org.
Smith loved playing sports – but his first love was always football. At central New York’s Auburn High School, Smith was a three-sport athlete, lettering in football, hockey and lacrosse. Smith was an all-conference player in all three sports, but he excelled on the football field where he was an all-conference guard and linebacker.
Smith won numerous awards for his play on the gridiron, including the prestigious Tony Kroker Award and the Ron Miller Award. After graduating from Auburn High School, Smith spent a year at Deerfield Academy before matriculating from Colgate University. Smith played football and lacrosse for four years in college.
After graduating in 1990, Smith found employment on Staten Island where Walt Hameline, a fellow native of central New York, was in charge of the Wagner football team. Hameline was friendly with Kevin Callahan, who was Smith’s defensive coordinator at Colgate.
“I would tell you that Bill was high energy,” Hameline said. “I would say ‘Hey, Bill we need to get this done.’ He’d do it quickly. That was the best part about it. We also related really well with him being a football player at Colgate and loving the sport of football. It put me in a situation where he could be really helpful with everything in compliance. We just had a great working relationship and there was no question that he was going to be a real successful guy.”
Just two years after starting his coaching career, Smith put his lifelong dream on hold to begin a new challenge. In 1992, he enrolled at the University of Bridgeport (Conn.) Law School. The school was purchased by Quinnipiac University, but as Smith joked, the only time he stepped on the Hamden campus was to purchase books.
Smith’s life changed for the good in 1994 when he married Maura and spent the final year of law school at Syracuse University. Smith passed the New York state bar exam – he still has a license to practice law in New York even though he’s never stepped into a court room – and began the next phase of his life.
Right as Smith was pondering the next step in his life, Hameline, who doubled as Wagner’s athletic director, was looking for a new compliance coordinator. With Title IX compliance and other NCAA bylaws becoming scrutinized, the position was a crucial part of every athletic department.
“It worked out perfectly from a standpoint where Bill became our compliance guy,” Hameline said. “It was great because he was a legal counsel guy and at the same time helping us out on the football field. It was the beginning of compliance becoming a big thing more than it had been in the past with accountability and Title IX. It worked out perfectly.”
Smith, who also held the title of student-athlete adviser in his two years at Wagner College, took a step further away from the gridiron in 1997 when he accepted the job as the Patriot League’s executive director of compliance and championships.
Hameline, who not only counts Smith as a colleague but a family friend, said Smith would’ve been a great football coach if his next step after Wagner was a return to the field.
“I think he would’ve been a great coach,” Hameline said. “High energy with a love for the game. I don’t know if he would’ve been as happy, but he would’ve been a really, really good football coach. He’s a people person and with kids he’s great. He’s obviously got a love for the sport, so he would’ve been great.”
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One year in Pennsylvania running compliance for the Patriot League earned Smith his next big break in college administration – he was going to the BCS.
In 1997, Smith was hired by then Iowa State University Athletic Director Gene Smith – no relation – to be the Cyclones’ director of compliance. Smith spent four years in the position before he was elevated to new Athletic Director Bruce Van De Velde’s second in command as the Big XII school’s senior associate athletic director.
Smith, who oversaw the school’s top revenue-generating programs - football, basketball and wrestling - used the breadth of his law school and professional experience to climb up the Iowa State administrative ladder.
“Having a law degree opened up a lot of doors from me at Iowa State,” Smith said, “because it gave me experience to write game contracts and employee contracts and negotiate contracts.”
Smith was so successful in Ames that he was named the school’s men’s basketball coach in 2006 – well, at least for two weeks. Iowa State fired coach Wayne Morgan after the Cyclones went 16-14 and just 6-10 in the Big XII. Smith’s tenure ended when Greg McDermott was hired away from Northern Iowa.
“You just hold everything together,” Smith said. “I was the lowest paid coach in the Big XII conference – ever. It was kind of funny because I played high school hockey, I can’t dribble the ball and lay it up at the same time. That was a difficult situation to let Wayne go because I was very close to him.”
Hameline said it’s a good thing the Cyclones didn’t go into the season with Smith as their coach.
“Thank God it was only administrative and he only had the job for two weeks because he’s a football guy, and God only knows what he would’ve done with a basketball team,” Hameline said.
After his dalliance as a major-college basketball coach, Smith was ready for a new challenge, but it had to be at the Division I level. Smith was a finalist for the athletic director positions at the University of Denver and Rider University in New Jersey, but neither school selected him.
Marty Fine, who was a linebackers coach at Iowa State from 2002-03, was the head coach of a Division II business college in northern Rhode Island and told Smith about the potential opportunity. Smith, who knew nothing about Bryant or the area, only met with Machtley out of respect for his friend and fellow football guy.
“Going to a Division I school was very important to me,” Smith said. “I came out here to be respectful to Coach Fine. I’ll always remember the first time I drove on campus because of how beautiful it is and everything it has to offer. [Machtley] was so articulate and passionate that it’s contagious and I fell in love with the opportunity.”
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Machtley’s vision of Bryant’s future persuaded Smith to move his wife and his growing family from Ames to Smithfield. There was no guarantee Bryant would make the leap across the Grand Canyon-like divide that separates Division II from the behemoths in Division I, but Smith was ready to grow with the school.
“I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have the opportunity to work for President Machtley, who in my opinion is a great president and a great boss,” Smith said. “He’s a great leader and he gave me the opportunity to bring the program from Division II to Division I. I’m so grateful during that time period that we’ve had tremendous support from our alumni.”
Quietly, Smith put together a proposal commissioned by Machtley that identified how Bryant could move up to Division I in a way that wouldn’t harm the school’s finances and reputation. Machtley, the school’s University Officers and Board of Trustees signed off on the move and the school announced its intention to move up to Division I on Oct. 18, 2007. The school began participating in Division I athletics the following fall and the NCAA made the school a full member in 2012.
Smith’s first task was simple – find qualified coaches. While Bryant’s head coaches were full time in Division II, the assistant coaches were only part-time employees. Smith scoured the country to put together quality coaching staffs that could recruit Division I athletes.
“The biggest challenge was identifying the priorities and making sure we were on top of all the different levers you have to move,” Smith said. “You have athletic scholarships that you need to increase. Your facilities need to improve. We had to add full-time staffers, especially assistant coaches. We had to improve ticket sales and improve donor relations. We needed to put together a strategic plan to address those areas and you better be right in the areas you move.”
The Bulldogs made an immediate impact on the conference, especially in men’s sports. Guided by coach Steve Owens, who is also a central New York native, the baseball program won the 2013, 2014 and 2016 conference titles to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs were a No. 2 seed in 2016.
Under coach Mike Pressler, who Smith hired in 2007 after Pressler was fired as Duke coach during the 2006 lacrosse scandal, the Bulldogs have won four conference titles in the last six seasons and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2014.
“I think that we’re consistently at the top of the Northeast Conference as far as commissioners cup standings are concerned. We’re very proud of that,” Smith said. “Two of the first three years we were eligible for the Commissioner’s Cup, we won it, so we’re very proud of that. Like everything in life, every day you have to get better if you’re not progressing, your competition is and they’re going to blow by you.
“We’re happy with the progress we’ve made, but we’re determined to get a whole lot better.”
Bryant, however, has lagged behind the competition in football and basketball. The basketball program has never played for a conference title and has only reached the postseason once, the CBI in 2012. The football program has yet to play in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
A trip to the FCS playoffs would mean a lot to Smith, who is a member of the FCS Selection Committee. As a matter of fact, when Smith’s son Danny was helping the Smithfield hockey team defeat Mount St. Charles, 5-3, on Dec. 1, Bill Smith was in Arizona as part of his work with the selection committee.
“Incredible experience to get to know a bunch of athletic directors and be a part of that decision making process,” Smith said. “That helps to get Bryant’s name out there nationally. We’re just trying to show a commitment to excellence that we have at Bryant.”
After Fine stepped down following the 2016 season, Smith had the chance to make his mark on the football program for the first time since he was hired. On Jan. 3, 2017, Smith named former Brown standout quarterback and Princeton offensive coordinator James Perry as the team’s new coach.
Smith made his intention clear with the hire – he wants to see the Bulldogs run by a young, innovative offensive mind. For his part, Perry said the Bulldogs wouldn’t have been the success they were last season – Bryant won its last four games to finish 6-5 – if it weren’t for Smith’s support.
“For me, every aspect of this job is new and doesn’t come naturally,” Perry said. “To have a boss who can walk you through that and give you advice, but doesn’t make you put your guard up has been critical for me. From a personal perspective, it’s nice to have someone you can talk to who will help you get better as a coach. He’s been a great mentor to me in a short period of time.
“There’s not a way, honestly, I could’ve kept my sanity early on without that type of mentorship. On the flip side, I do appreciate that he lets you do your job.”
Even though he loves coaching, Smith said his job is to focus on the athletic department from a global perspective and not micromanage each sport. If he’s regularly talking to a coach, that’s likely not a good sign for the coach’s future with the school.
“I’m hands on through the hiring process and making sure that I’m hiring good peo- ple first and foremost,” Smith said. “I also want coaches who care about their kids academically and also get wins on the court or the field or the swimming pool. The most important part of my job is to hire the right person. If I’m meeting with a coach regularly then there is an issue and one that needs to be corrected.”
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Smith’s roots are now firmly planted in Smithfield. His daughter Molly, after a superb scholastic lacrosse career at Smithfield High, is now a senior at Bryant. Due to a shoulder injury she was forced to retire from the sport after her junior year.
Smith’s oldest son, Liam, is a standout defender on the juggernaut La Salle lacrosse team, while Danny Smith is hoping to lead the Sentinels to the hockey state title as a sophomore. Smith’s youngest child is named Marin.
Even though he’s been ap- proached about opportunities beyond Bryant, Smith said he’s happy to be in charge of a program that he’s built.
“I love where I am,” Smith said. “When you’re thinking of other opportunities, what’s so important to me is the people. It’s starts off for the guy I work for [Machtley]. I wouldn’t want to work for anyone other than President Machtley. I wouldn’t to work anywhere else. There’s a positive energy and vibe with the student-athletes here. I’m in no shape, way or form looking to work anywhere else.”
Even though Bryant has made big strides in the past decade, Smith is aware of the challenges the program faces in the short term and the long. After Sunday’s retirement of O’Shea, Smith will spend the next few months finding candidates to fill the men’s basketball coaching vacancy. At the same time, he will be overseeing improvements to Chace Athletic Center.
Once the basketball season ends – the final home game is a women’s contest on Feb. 26 – each basketball team will get new a locker room and a new team room. A new shared video room will be erected between the locker rooms.
From a spectator perspective, Smith said the school is focused on getting rid of the bleacher seating that has hindered season-ticket sales. The challenge for Smith is finding the funds to make the project feasible. Smith said donor Mike Fisher has been a big help to the basketball program, as his donations helped pay for a new floor.
“One of our priorities is to get chair backs eventually in there because that would help us draw support from the community,” Smith said. “It’s tough with the bleacher seats to get and attract season ticket holders because the seats are uncomfortable. The space is an issue, but when we raise money for a project, that money is coming from donors who have a commitment and a relationship to a certain sport.”
Beirne Stadium, which received a cash infusion from David M. Beirne, is being upgraded with FieldTurf and lights in time for the 2018 season, is part of the facelift the campus has experienced since Smith took over. Conaty Indoor Athletic Center, an 80,000-square foot indoor facility used by the football, lacrosse, baseball, softball and golf teams, and Conaty Field provide Bryant with some of the best facilities in the NEC and New England.
Are Bryant’s ambitions outgrowing the NEC? Not according to Smith.
“I haven’t even had my attention turned or even thought about another conference affiliation,” Smith said. “The Northeast Conference has been so good to us and they welcomed us with open arms and I think that we’re such a good fit for the Northeast Conference right now that we’re not doing anything to actively pursue or go after another conference.”
The future of Bryant athletics looks bright, but Smith is well aware of the challenges the program faces. With two Division I schools just 15 minutes away – Providence College and Brown – and 18 others within a two-hour drive of campus, Bryant has to compete for athletes, fans, media attention and donors in a crowded marketplace.
Bryant has done a solid job of keeping Division I athletes in the area with Cumberland’s Chris Wright (baseball) and Jocelyn Bodington (softball) and St. Raphael’s Alfred Dorbor (football) all at or committed to the school, but it’s still a challenge to keep elite athletes home.
“It’s an incredibly difficult market to be in,” Smith said. “There’s so many quality academic institutions in the area. That’s part of the reason we’ve gone Division I so we can brand nationally and recruit not only New England, but also outside of it. When our baseball program is down in Georgia and gets a win, kids are identifying with that.
“One of the other things that we do have going for us is our academic curriculum is so unique and so innovative. That’s a huge selling point that helps differentiate us from our competitors in New England.”
Smith’s goal in life was to be in college athletics, the journey simply took him on a different path. Instead of prowling the sideline on Saturdays, Smith spends his days running a 550-athlete Division I program that not too long ago was an afterthought in Rhode Island college athletics.
“I have friends who think I have the greatest job in the world because all I do is show up at games and shake hands with everybody,” Smith said. “I do feel like I have the greatest job in the country and I’m so blessed. You have your difficult times just like at any other job – especially when you have to let go of an employee. I take this job very seriously to make sure everyone here can be successful.”