Photo by: Jack Murrey / Montana State Athletics
Cal Poly Announces Jamal Smith as Men’s Basketball Director of Operations
10/28/2022 12:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Bringing championship experience as a player and staff member from two Division I programs, Jamal Smith recently returned to the Cal Poly men's basketball program as director of operations.
A guard at Cal State Fullerton (2015-19) and graduate guard with Cal Poly (2019-20), Smith returns to Mott Athletics Center after serving as Montana State's director of operations last season. After helping Cal State Fullerton to the 2018 Big West Conference Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament invitation, Smith assisted Montana State to last year's Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament titles and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 26 years.
The son of fourth-year Cal Poly head coach John Smith, Jamal will be tasked with travel management and arrangement, practice scheduling, supervising support staff – including managers – and mentorship of point guards.
"Needless to say, I'm humbled to have the opportunity to work side-by-side with my son," John Smith said. "Jamal has worked hard in every facet of his ascension in the game. Last year with Montana State, he helped lead them to the Big Sky Championship behind the scenes while helping mentor the point guards.
"We're ecstatic to welcome him back to do the same with our point guards and solidify the operations position."
With Smith joining Montana State's staff in November 2021, the Bobcats finished 27-8 overall. Seeded No. 14 for the NCAA Tournament, the Bobcats fell in the opening round to Texas Tech. Smith was tasked with scouting and film work, player development, travel coordination and financial reporting.
Transferring to Cal Poly for his 2019-20 graduate season, Smith started in 22 of 30 appearances and averaged 6.7 points per game. He then signed with Armenia Basketball League A club Vahakni City for the 2020-21 season before accepting the Montana State operations position.
Graduating from Cal State Fullerton in May 2019 with a kinesiology degree, Smith appeared in all 34 games for the Titans during the 2018-19 season and averaged 19.1 minutes per outing for a squad that finished second in the Big West standings and reached the conference tournament championship game for a second straight season. He scored in all but eight games during his final year as a Titan.
Smith appeared in all 32 games with 18 starts for the 2017-18 Cal State Fullerton squad that captured the Big West Tournament title and faced Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
He debuted at Cal State Fullerton during the 2016-17 season, appearing in 20 games. Smith redshirted the year prior during his first season on campus.
A four-year letterwinner at Rancho Verde HS (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Smith averaged 19.0 points and 5.0 assists per game as a senior to earn All-Inland Valley League honors.
A guard at Cal State Fullerton (2015-19) and graduate guard with Cal Poly (2019-20), Smith returns to Mott Athletics Center after serving as Montana State's director of operations last season. After helping Cal State Fullerton to the 2018 Big West Conference Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament invitation, Smith assisted Montana State to last year's Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament titles and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 26 years.
The son of fourth-year Cal Poly head coach John Smith, Jamal will be tasked with travel management and arrangement, practice scheduling, supervising support staff – including managers – and mentorship of point guards.
"Needless to say, I'm humbled to have the opportunity to work side-by-side with my son," John Smith said. "Jamal has worked hard in every facet of his ascension in the game. Last year with Montana State, he helped lead them to the Big Sky Championship behind the scenes while helping mentor the point guards.
"We're ecstatic to welcome him back to do the same with our point guards and solidify the operations position."
With Smith joining Montana State's staff in November 2021, the Bobcats finished 27-8 overall. Seeded No. 14 for the NCAA Tournament, the Bobcats fell in the opening round to Texas Tech. Smith was tasked with scouting and film work, player development, travel coordination and financial reporting.
Transferring to Cal Poly for his 2019-20 graduate season, Smith started in 22 of 30 appearances and averaged 6.7 points per game. He then signed with Armenia Basketball League A club Vahakni City for the 2020-21 season before accepting the Montana State operations position.
Graduating from Cal State Fullerton in May 2019 with a kinesiology degree, Smith appeared in all 34 games for the Titans during the 2018-19 season and averaged 19.1 minutes per outing for a squad that finished second in the Big West standings and reached the conference tournament championship game for a second straight season. He scored in all but eight games during his final year as a Titan.
Smith appeared in all 32 games with 18 starts for the 2017-18 Cal State Fullerton squad that captured the Big West Tournament title and faced Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
He debuted at Cal State Fullerton during the 2016-17 season, appearing in 20 games. Smith redshirted the year prior during his first season on campus.
A four-year letterwinner at Rancho Verde HS (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Smith averaged 19.0 points and 5.0 assists per game as a senior to earn All-Inland Valley League honors.
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