Nov 17, 2017 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – The Waynesburg University Department of Athletics recently announced that it will remove the interim tag from Chris Smithley’s title, making him the official head football coach for the Yellow Jackets.

“Chris is a great fit for the university, and we are pleased to have him in this role,” said Waynesburg athletic director Larry Marshall. “He took over the position in May, making for a very short preseason, after just one year with the team since his return to Waynesburg. During this time, he has demonstrated a mentoring, coaching and leadership style consistent with the mission of the university.”

Waynesburg went 2-8 in Smithley’s year as interim head coach. However, two of those losses came by 10 points or fewer. The Yellow Jackets’ two victories came in back-to-back weeks, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4.

“I am thankful and I greatly appreciate the opportunity and the trust that this university puts in me to hold such an important role,” Smithley said. “I cannot say enough about the support we received from administrators, faculty members, and colleagues in the athletic department. Without it, this past season would have been much more difficult.”

Prior to the interim head coach position, Smithley served as the offensive coordinator for the Yellow Jackets. The Bolivar native also was the Yellow Jackets’ secondary coach and a defensive line coach from 2009 and 2012.

Smithley was an assistant coach at Washington and Jefferson from 2012 to 2016. While there, he served as secondary coach and special teams coordinator for three years and as a linebacker coach for one year.

Smithley holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree, both from Waynesburg. He also played four years with the Yellow Jackets. Smithley’s spent two years as fullback/halfback and two seasons as a quarterback.