Bio

Tom Monahan Smith began his first season at Michigan Tech in 2017-18 as the head coach of the Nordic ski teams and assistant coach with the cross country teams.

Smith, a native of Bend, Oregon, came to Houghton after serving as the head coach of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation in Ketchum, Idaho. Sun Valley provides year-round training and competitive opportunities for youth. Smith provided professional programming and support for competitive development, allowing his skiers to gain positions on collegiate ski teams, national development teams, elite teams, and national teams. Smith guided Sun Valley to a fourth place overall finish in the club standings.

Throughout his coaching career, Smith has coached an NCAA National Champion, numerous NCAA All-Americans, a Paralympian, and multiple Junior All-Americans. His team's have won junior titles and competed in World Junior and U23 World Championships. His skiers have also earned collegiate Nordic skiing scholarships at universities across the country. Smith owns USSA level 100 and 200 coaches certifications.

In addition to coaching at Sun Valley, Smith served as the head domestic national team coach for Australia, the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club, Victorian Junior Cross-Country Ski Team, and the program instructor for the Australian Primary and Secondary Schools. He was also a student assistant coach with the University of Utah when the Utehs finished second at the 2013 NCAA Championships.

Smith was an outstanding student-athlete at the University of Utah where he helped guide the Utes to a pair of second-place NCAA Championship finishes in both 2011 and 2012. Smith began his collegiate career as a walk-on but eventually earned a scholarship after scoring in two straight NCAA Championships. Smith was named a Pac 12/Mountain West Scholar-Athlete all four years as a student-athlete.

Smith was a gold medalist in the freestyle sprint at the U.S. Junior Nationals in 2007 as well as being a six-time Junior All-American. He was also a prolific skier in high school, claiming the Oregon High School Nordic State Champion title three times. Smith comes from a skiing family with his brother, sister, and cousins all racing at the collegiate level.

Smith graduated from Utah in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in environmental and sustainability studies and also a bachelor's degree in international studies.