Dave Smith was named the associate head coach for Shippensburg University women's basketball in July of 2025 after serving as the team's primary assistant coach for 10 seasons. He is entering his 18th year overall with the Shippensburg University women's basketball program in 2025-26.
Smith returned to Shippensburg on Oct. 6, 2016 as the primary assistant coach. He previously spent eight seasons as SU’s head coach from 1990-98. During that time, Smith guided the Raiders to a 160-69 record that included four NCAA Tournament appearances and three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships.
During his time as an assistant, he oversaw the collegiate career of PSAC all-time leading scorer Ariel Jones (2017-23). Jones, a WBCA All-American and two-time PSAC East Player of the Year, scored 2,806 points as a Raider (fourth most in NCAA Division II history) and made her debut with the Puerto Rican Women's Basketball National Team during the 2024 FIBA Women's Centrobasket Tournament.
The 2022-23 campaign, Jones' final season at SU, saw the Raiders post 25 wins and an 18-4 conference mark. Jones shattered the all-time PSAC single-game scoring record (51 points) and the PSAC single-season scoring record with 795 points as SU made it to the NCAA Atlantic Region Semifinals, where they fell to eventual NCAA Division II semifinalists Glenville State.
A 2008 Shippensburg University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Smith led the 1996 women’s basketball team to the NCAA National Championship game. Two years later, he guided SU back to the NCAA Elite Eight. Smith earned three PSAC Coach of the Year awards and two Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) East Region Coach of the Year awards.
Smith is reunited with current SU head coach Kristy Trn, who is entering her 24th season as the head coach at Shippensburg. Trn played for Smith for three seasons (1990-91 – 1992-93) and then served as a coach with Smith for the next five, including four (1994-95 – 1997-98) as his primary assistant.
Overall, Smith spent 34 years as a collegiate head coach: eight years at St. Joseph’s (Ind.) (1976-1978, 1984-1990), eight years at Shippensburg (1990-98), 14 years at Bellarmine (Ken.) (1998-2012) and four years at West Virginia State (2012-16). His career record is 628-334, with a winning percentage of .653.
He is a 1969 graduate of Indiana State University.
