FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State football head coach Jeff Tedford announced Tuesday that Matt Smith has been named the team's offensive line coach. Smith is Bulldog Born and Bulldog Bred, having played for the 'Dogs as an offensive lineman himself from 2016-21 and further serving as an offensive line graduate assistant for the program in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Smith becomes the fifth full-time coach on staff to be a Fresno State alumni, joining Tedford, linebackers coach Tim Skipper, defensive line coach Jethro Franklin, and defensive backs coach J.D. Williams.
In his last two seasons as an offensive line graduate assistant, Smith has helped prime All-Mountain West talents with at least two offensive lineman earning postseason honors in both years.
A guy who has been there and done that himself, Smith began his Bulldog career as a walk-on in 2016 and turned into a six-year player and starter for the 'Dogs. He played offensive line (2016-21), and served as the starting center from 2019-21.
Smith battled injury throughout his career but, even while sidelined, managed a positive outlook on the offensive line. He was looked to for leadership and accountability in the position group, and quickly became a leader after having served as a primary special teams member before getting to see game action on the line.
In 2019, he was a Burlsworth Trophy nominee, an award that recognizes college football's most outstanding player who began their career as a walk-on. Smith was then named to the Rimington Award watch list in 2020, an award that spotlights the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I college football.
While a Bulldog student-athlete, Smith was a part of the 2018 Mountain West Championship team and won four games against top-ranked teams in his tenure. He was a part of the program's turnaround from its 1-11 season in 2016 to its 10-4 season in 2017. The 'Dogs had three 10-win seasons in Smith's playing career (2017, 2018, 2021).
Smith excelled in the classroom as well, earning academic recognition by the Mountain West for four-straight seasons. He was also a two-time William V. Campbell award semifinalist, an honor considered by many to be the Academic Heisman.
Smith graduated with an undergraduate degree in business administration with an emphasis in sports marketing in 2020. He also completed his masters in curriculum and instruction at Fresno State.
Smith is a native of Long Beach, Calif. and graduated from St. John Bosco High School in 2016. Smith and his wife Jayme were student-athletes together at Fresno State with Jayme (Budwig) being on the track & field team from 2016-19.