Jeff Smith joined the Mean Green athletics department in 2017 as senior associate athletic director for sports medicine.
Prior to North Texas, Smith spent five years as the head athletic trainer at Stephen F. Austin, where he managed a staff of eight nationally-certified athletic trainers and 20 undergraduate athletic training students. He served as the primary athletic trainer for the Lumberjack football team. He was also a clinical and adjunct instructor within the SFA graduate athletic training educational program's curriculum which consisted of about 40 graduate students and 30 undergraduate students.
Smith was the recipient of the 2016 National Athletic Trainers' Associations Division 1 Head Athletic Trainer of the year award, presented at the 2016 NATA annual convention in Baltimore. This award was sponsored by the NATA's College and University Athletic Training Committee.
Smith spent three years as the primary athletic trainer for the Northwest Missouri State football team from 2009-12. During his stay at NWMSU, the Bearcat football team won the 2009 Division II National Championship.
He also worked six years as the associate athletic director/head athletic trainer at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., where he was responsible for all medical needs of Nicholls' 16 Division I sports. His primary responsibility was traveling with the football and men's basketball programs. He was also an instructor within the Nicholls State's accredited Athletic Training Educational Curriculum Program.
Smith served as an athletic trainer with the Barcelona Dragons of the National Football League in Europe for one season and spent the 2002 NFL season as a member of the athletic training staff of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.
Prior to his time in the NFL, Smith was a graduate assistant at LSU, where he worked with the football and track and field squads. Smith was part of three track and field national championships and an SEC and Sugar Bowl championship. In addition, he was selected as the medical coordinator for the 2002 NCAA Track and Field Championship meet hosted by LSU.
While attending Northwest Missouri as an undergraduate, Smith worked with the 1998 and 1999 Division II NCAA championship football teams, basketball, track and field, volleyball and tennis teams. He also served as an intern with the Kansas City Chiefs during this time.
From 2005-2011, Smith was the head athletic trainer for the Manning Passing Academy. This camp, performed in Thibodaux, La., has about 1,500 campers across the nation and is hosted by Archie, Peyton, Eli and Cooper Manning.
Smith received his bachelor's degree in physical and health education from Northwest Missouri in 2000 along with his ATC certification. He earned his master's in kinesiology from LSU in 2002. Smith is a nationally-certified athletic trainer and a State of Texas licensed athletic trainer.
In 2010, Smith married the former Tori Priddy, who works as a budget officer for UNT's Department of Research and Innovation.