UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State field hockey coach Charlene Morett announced that volunteer assistant Stuart Smith has now been appointed assistant coach. Smith takes over for Annie Zinkavich, who held the position for the previous six years. Smith began his stint at Penn State as a volunteer assistant in 2010.
"We are extremely thrilled that Stuart has accepted the Assistant Coach position on our staff," said Morett. "He brings an array of knowledge and experience to our program. Most importantly, his passion and pride for field hockey at Penn State is incredible."
Smith’s field hockey career spans 16 years to date. He started as a young player, advancing to compete at the state and national level in Australia. He has represented his region of the Central Coast as well as his state, while touring in New Zealand. He has competed against players of the Australian National Team as well as players of other national teams.
"Over the past few months, Stuart has done an excellent job," said Morett. "His expertise and knowledge of the game have made a positive impact on our staff and our players."
For his sporting and community achievements, Smith was rewarded with the opportunity to run the Olympic Torch in the 2000 Olympic games held in Sydney. More recently, Smith played with the Miami Surf Field Hockey Club, which was comprised of national players from around the world. He also coached at Nationals for the Futures field hockey program in Virginia Beach in June 2010.
A native of Wamberal, New South Wales, Australia, Smith came to the United States as part of an International Exchange Program. He enrolled in the prestigious Ohio State International Turf Grass Management Program where he graduated in 2008