Penn State DuBois Hires New Men's Basketball Coach

Penn State Dubois Athletic Department is proud to announce the hiring of Dan Smay. The Clearfield, Pennsylvania native has been named the Penn State DuBois Nittany Lions new Head Men's Basketball Coach.

By: Garrett Brown

Smay brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. Prior to his coaching career he served in the United States Marine Corps. It didn't take long after serving for Smay to decide that he wanted to continue to pursue his basketball career. He decided to take his talents to Penn State Mont Alto where he became a captain and a leader of the team. After his days competing came to an end, he decided it was time to get involved in the coaching sphere and hasn't looked back since.

Dan began his coaching career at Florida State University where he had served two years as a Graduate Assistant alongside Leonard Hamilton, a legendary coach in Division 1 basketball. After his time at Florida State, he resided back to his alma mater at Penn State Mont Alto where he helped coach the team to a USCAA National Runner Up in the 2014 season, and PSUAC Conference Championship in the 2015 season. Smay then moved back to his hometown to serve as the Assistant Coach of Clearfield High School men's basketball team, winning five straight District Championships. After having so much success at the high school level, it was time for Smay to take another leap in his coaching career. Smay moved on to serve as a Volunteer Assistant Coach at Division 2 powerhouse Indiana University of Pennsylvania, who was led by Coach Joe Lombardi, the all time wins leader for IUP Basketball. During his time with IUP, Smay helped the team compile a historic season where they became the 2023 Regular Season Champions, won the 2023 PSAC Championship, and ended their season with an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen, finishing with an overall record of 32-2.

After accepting the position as the new Head Men's Basketball Coach here at Penn State DuBois, he finds himself grateful and excited for the opportunity. In an interview with Smay he stated, "I love coaching the game of basketball, not only to win, but also to help young men reach their potential both on and off the court. I love to see the development of young men to break through their ceilings and become great players and people." Dan believes "Penn State DuBois gives great opportunities for athletes to grow academically." 

It is without saying, Smay is a winner. From the high school level all the way through the college level, he has had nothing but success in the coaching world. When asked, what people can expect from his team he stated, "The goal is to get better every day, so I hope the community sees excitement and really good basketball from us. Our tempo will be fun to watch and we will work hard to make sure we can get the job done everytime we step on the court".

There were many obstacles that he had to overcome along his journey, but he has always kept things in perspective. Smay said "I want to first thank God for always putting me in the right places. I want to give a huge thanks to my wife (Brooke) for the most amazing support I could ask for, she is what holds the home together". 

Coaching alongside some great coaches, Smay wanted to recognize them for his success as well. "I'd like to thank Coach Leonard Hamilton, Jack Schenzel, Joe Lombardi, Dennis Gates, Greg Bearer, and Jake Perrin all for their support." Smay would finally like to thank one last person, Athletic Director Ken Nellis, for entrusting him and believing in him with this awesome opportunity.   

Dan currently serves as the Assistant Athletic Director at the Penn State DuBois campus, so he is no stranger to a leadership role as an administrator. On behalf of the Penn State DuBois Athletic Department, we are excited about the addition of our new Head Men's Basketball Coach, Dan Smay.