Smith began his coaching career in 1996 as an assistant coach for one season at Mayville State University, an NAIA school in North Dakota. This was the first of several coaching roles under Tim Miles. In 1997, Smith enrolled in graduate school at Northern State, an NCAA Division II school in South Dakota, and became a graduate assistant with its men's basketball team. Returning to North Dakota, Smith was an assistant coach at Minot State from 1998 to 2001. In 2001, Smith reunited with Miles at then-NCAA Division II North Dakota State, where he was an assistant coach and director of operations for three seasons.
Mayville State (2004–2007)
After three seasons at North Dakota State, Smith returned to Mayville State, this time as head coach in 2004. Inheriting a team that had one win in the previous season, Smith led the Comets to 17 wins and a berth in the NAIA Division II Tournament in his first season of 2004–05. Smith's second season as Mayville State head coach in 2005–06 had a 28–6 record, good enough to break the record for most wins in program history. Mayville won the Dakota Athletic Conference regular season and conference titles and qualified for the NAIA Tournament for the second straight season, this time making the quarterfinals. With a 27–9 record in Smith's final season 2006–07, Mayville State won both DAC titles again and made the championship round of the NAIA tournament as a no. 13 seed. Smith won NAIA Division II Coach of the Year honors in 2007 and DAC Coach of the Year Honors in 2006 and 2007.
Smith got his first NCAA Division I job on April 10, 2007 as director of operations at Colorado State, his third association with Tim Miles. Miles promoted Smith to a full assistant coach in 2008. During his time at Colorado State, Smith helped the team qualify for the 2010 CBI, 2011 NIT, and 2012 NCAA Tournament. On April 25, 2012, Smith followed Miles to Nebraska after Miles took the head coaching job there. Smith helped Nebraska make the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
South Dakota (2014–2018)
Smith became a head coach again on March 24, 2014, when South Dakota athletic director David Herbster named Smith men's basketball head coach. Following a 12–18 season in 2013–14, South Dakota went 17–16 in Smith's first season of 2014–15. In 2016–17, Smith won Summit League Coach of the Year honors after South Dakota won the Summit League regular season title and qualified for the 2017 NIT. Smith's last season in 2017 with the Coyotes ended 26–9, with a 2nd-place finish in the Summit League both in the regular season and conference tournament, the Coyotes would later fall to North Texas in the 2018 College Basketball Invitational first round 77-90.
On March 26, 2018, Smith was announced as Utah State's new head coach after the firing of Tim Duryea. In just his first season at the school, he led the Aggies to a share of the Mountain West regular-season title, as well as the tournament title. This performance earned them their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2011.
