Ray Smith enters his seventh year at Southeast Missouri. Smith is also in his third season as defensive pass game coordinator after spending four years as cornerbacks coach.
In 2022, Smith’s pass defense rated third in the Ohio Valley Conference in interceptions for the second-straight year. SEMO had 11 picks with 10 different players getting an interception.
Safety Lawrence Johnson garnered All-America and All-OVC honors and Ty Leonard picked up All-OVC accolades in the Redhawks secondary last season.
The Redhawks also ranked third in interceptions during the 2021 campaign. Prior to that, SEMO was first in the league in picks during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
The Redhawks ranked second in the OVC with 10 picks in 2020. Cornerbacks Al Young and Shabari Davis led the team with two interceptions apiece. Nationally, SEMO ranked eighth in the Football Championship Subdivision in interceptions.
As a unit, SEMO’s defense led the nation in turnover margin, turnovers gained and interceptions in 2018.
A year later, the Redhawks topped the OVC in interceptions, while posting 24 takeways which were good for third-most in the league.
Prior to SEMO, Smith spent two seasons at Southwest Baptist, where he coached the defensive backs and worked as the Bearcats special teams coordinator.
In 2016, SBU returned 14 interceptions for 134 yards and added 29 pass breakups. The Bearcats. Nickel back Shaun Hutchinson was the team’s leading tackler with 100 stops and 15.5 tackles for loss under Smith’s watch.
In 2015, Smith helped lead the SBU secondary to two All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association awards with Antion McBee earning All-America honors.
The Bearcats secondary led the Great Lakes Valley Conference with 17 interceptions and was part of a defense that rated first in the conference in turnover margin.
Before SBU, Smith was an assistant coach at Schaumburg (Ill.) High School. He helped lead his team to the Mid-Suburban West Conference championship and an appearance in the Illinois High School Association 7A quarterfinals in 2013. Smith also coached two MSL First-Team All-Conference selections in 2012.
In 2011, Smith coached at NCAA Division I Indiana State where he was in charge of defensive backs.
From 2008-2010, Smith coached defensive backs at the University of St. Francis (Ill.). He helped lead Saint Francis to a pair of 7-4 seasons during the 2008 and 2010 (second best record in program history) campaigns.
Multiple players earned All-Conference honors under Smith’s tutelage, and he helped Wayne Johnson earn a First-Team NAIA All-America award in 2010. In 2008, Smith helped guide a defense that was ranked in the top 25 nationally in total defense, run defense, and pass defense.
Before that, Smith worked at NCAA Division III Wisconsin-Platteville as defensive backs coach from 2006-2007. He assisted in the development of WIAC Second-Team All-Conference standout Hans Christenson.
Smith graduated from Northern Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communication in 2006. He was a four-year letterwinner for the football team and played on four Mid-America Conference West Championship teams (2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005). In 2005, Smith was named team captain and earned First-Team All-MAC honors. He also earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Southern Illinois in 2004. Smith helped the Huskies win the Silicon Valley Classic Bowl that year, as well.
Smith later earned his Master of Science in Adult Education from the Wisconsin-Platteville in 2007.
He was selected for one of the National Football League’s Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship Coaching positions in the summer of 2020. Smith worked with the Cleveland Browns during OTAs and Training Camp.
Smith resides in Jackson with his wife, Courtney, daughters, Leila and Zoe. and son, Tripp.
