Bridgewater College

Craig Smith '06 returned to Bridgewater as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator in 2019. In addition to those roles, in 2021 he will also be taking on the role of pass game coordinator on offense and as co-special teams coordinator along with Kyle Purkey.  

Bridgewater football returned to the NCAA tournament in 2019, going 10-1 and clinching the ODAC championship at home vs. Randolph-Macon. The Eagles hosted a first round tournament game and were ranked #20 in the postseason polls. Wide receivers Trey Stephens and Jarrod Denham and tight ends Conner Kleffman and Grant Monson were All-ODAC selections while Kleffman made the All-State team. Freshman wideout Viante Tucker was the State and ODAC Rookie of the Year.

Smith had won four ODAC championships as a student-athlete with the Eagles, from 2002-05. Bridgewater went 50-10 over his five years with the program, reaching the NCAA semifinals in 2003 and NCAA quarterfinals in 2002 and 2005.

He was a second team All-ODAC linebacker in 2004 and again in 2006 as a fifth-year senior. He also earned second team VaSID All-State honors in his final season.

He spent the past four years at North Carolina Wesleyan, where he was the special teams coordinator, wide receivers coach and strength & conditioning coordinator. His final game with the Battling Bishops was at the Jopson Athletic Complex against Bridgewater this past November.

In 2013-14, he was safeties and then wide receivers coach at Christopher Newport, winning the 2014 USA South title. He coached All-American wide receivers at both CNU (Rudy Rudolph) and N.C. Wesleyan (Malik Adams).

Smith was the offensive coordinator in 2012 at Bluffton University. Over three years with the program he coached quarterbacks, receivers and special teams while directing strength & conditioning, operations and the offensive pass game.

He also coached special teams and receivers at John Carroll University (2008-09), and safeties at Saint Vincent College (2007).

Smith received his bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science from Bridgewater in 2006.