Steve Smiley began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M International during the 2004-05 campaign. He became the 20th head coach in Northern Colorado men’s basketball history in March 2020. Smiley owns the second highest winning percentage in the program’s Division I era, equaling Jeff Linder for the most postseason wins with six.
Since taking over the program prior to the 2020-21 campaign, five former Bears have played in the professional ranks, while 10 went pro since Smiley arrived in Greeley.
A native of Denver, Smiley graduated from Northern State in 2004. He was a three-year starter with the Wolves and led the Northern Sun league in assists for three straight seasons. He ranks second in NSU history in career assists with 537. As a senior, he was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year and the league tournament MVP. He helped lead the team to a 24-7 record and a trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
He played high school basketball at Pomona High School in Arvada, Colorado, where he was a four-year starter and earned All-State honors twice while graduating as his class valedictorian. He also led the state of Colorado in assists during his junior season.
