CHADRON – Brad Smith, who has been the athletic director at Chadron State College for 26 years, announced his retirement Tuesday.
Smith, who also coached football at CSC from 1987-2004, will remain as athletic director until his replacement is hired.
“It’s been a privilege to spend 26 years in Chadron and during that time I have made many wonderful friends and met numerous supporters of our institution,” Smith said. “It’s my hope they’ll continue to support Chadron State College athletics as well as the excellent coaches, professors and staff.”
Under Smith’s guidance, Chadron State joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II in the early 1990s. He also helped launch a softball program in 2007 and the men’s and women’s cross country programs wrapped up their inaugural seasons in the fall of 2012. In addition, Smith was athletic director when the women’s golf team formed in 1996.
“Brad has a fantastic legacy at Chadron State College and I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for Eagle athletics and the school,” President Randy Rhine said. “I appreciate his willingness to stay and maintain continuity within the athletic department until his replacement is found. He’s accomplished a lot while he has been at Chadron State and he’s a generous ambassador.”
Smith was active in generating support for the athletic program through the Chadron State Foundation for the Vision 2011 Comprehensive Campaign. That fund drive generated more than 16.5 million dollars, amassing funds for endowments, the foundation’s annual fund and two building projects. The building projects consist of the construction of a new Rangeland Complex and the creation of the Events Center, a renovation and expansion of the Armstrong Physical Education Building.
Smith also led the way in the highly successful Don Beebe Chadron State Golf Classic, which has raised thousands of dollars for the athletic program.
Smith was also an accomplished coach for the Eagles, culminating in being named the RMAC’s All-Time Football Coach at the conference’s centennial celebration in the summer of 2009 after having a career record of 133-56-1 at Chadron State from 1987 to 2004.
He is the school’s all-time winningest football coach and each of his final 11 teams won at least seven games. Smith’s all-time winning percentage of .704 ranked seventh in Division II among coaches whose teams had played at least 150 games when he stepped down from that position at the end of the 2004 season.
Smith also served as the interim coach for the football team midway through the 2011 season. The Eagles went 3-1 with Smith at the helm, making his career coaching record is 136-57-1.
He was the RMAC Coach of the Year in 1996 and 2001 and he shared it in 1999. He coached five conference championship teams and led the Eagles to the playoffs four times.
He’s also been inducted into the RMAC Hall of Fame and the Chadron State Athletic Hall of Fame for his role as coach and athletic director.
Prior to returning to Chadron State, Smith had served six years as an assistant at his undergraduate alma mater, Western Illinois University at Macomb. He also spent seven years coaching high school football.