July 24, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The 2009 UCF baseball coaching staff was officially completed Thursday when first-year head coach Terry Rooney announced the selection of Aaron Smith as the program's volunteer assistant coach. Smith previously served as UNC Wilmington's volunteer assistant during the 2008 campaign.
"Aaron has developed a growing reputation as one of the bright young coaches on the East Coast," said Rooney. "He will oversee the development of our outfielders and assist in various areas on the field. His background as an accomplished collegiate and professional player, along with his recent postseason success, made him the perfect choice to finalize our coaching staff.
"The last five weeks have been an exciting time in the progression of the UCF baseball program. We now have the entire coaching and support staff in place to begin the process of making the UCF baseball program one of the best in the nation."
UNC Wilmington excelled with Smith on the staff. The Seahawks went 44-17-1 and picked up an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament, where they defeated Elon twice but fell to North Carolina in a pair of games in the Cary Regional. The 2008 season was a huge improvement compared to 2007 when they posted a 29-27 record and went 0-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.
Smith also worked in the Seattle Mariners baseball operations department from 2006-07, and was an assistant coach for Archbishop Murphy High School in Washington.
A talented shortstop for UNC Wilmington, Smith played for the Seahawks from 2003-04 and helped guide his team to the NCAA Regionals each year along with its first conference title in 2004. As a senior, he racked up a .335 average with 10 dingers and 50 RBI en route to a spot on the All-CAA Second Team. That season he played under volunteer assistant coach Cliff Godwin, who is now one of UCF's assistant coaches and the program's recruiting coordinator.
Smith's defense was just as good as he finished his two-year career by ranking fifth in school history with 74 double plays and ninth in assists with 327, including a single-season mark of 201 assists in 2004.At the conclusion of his senior year, he signed on with the Chicago Cubs and played 33 games with a .259 batting average for the Arizona League Cubs. Smith then saw action in 78 contests for the Midwest League's Peoria Chiefs in 2005.
"This is a move that I felt would benefit myself professionally," said Smith. "Wilmington was a great place to be and they gave me the opportunity to coach there and I'm grateful for that. But it was time for me to move on.
"I played for coach Godwin who was in my position at Wilmington in 2004, and that was a huge factor in me taking this job. Everything at UCF is in place, such as the facilities, the weather and the Orlando area, to where I think this program could be a power in college baseball."
Smith graduated with a bachelor's degree from UNCW in 2004 and completed his master's in education at the University of Washington in 2007.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
UCF Baseball Coaching Staff for 2008-09 (Starting Date)
Head Coach - Terry Rooney (June 12)
Assistant Coach - Cliff Godwin (June 23)
Assistant Coach - Jeff Palumbo (July 14)
Volunteer Assistant Coach - Aaron Smith (July 24)
Director of Baseball Operations - Kyle Dawes (July 14)