LSU Assistant Megan Smith Named Head Softball Coach at Kansas
June 24, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Megan Smith, an assistant softball coach at Louisiana State University for the last three years who helped guide LSU to three NCAA Tournament appearances, has been named the program’s eighth head softball coach at the University of Kansas.
Smith replaces Tracy Bunge, who retired after 13 years as the Kansas head softball coach.
In addition to her duties as first-base coach, Smith’s primary responsibilities at LSU included working with the infield and assisting with the pitching and hitting aspects of the program. Smith has been instrumental in the development of shortstop Juliana Santos, who earned All-South Region First-Team and SEC All-Freshman honors in 2009.
The Tigers’ three tournament appearances with Smith in the dugout included an appearance in the 2007 Super Regionals (Sweet 16). In her three seasons at LSU, Smith guided the Tigers’ infield to its best and third-best seasons in program history, which included a program-best .974 mark during the 2008 season. The .974 fielding percentage ranked 13th in the NCAA.
Smith also shared responsibilities for practice planning and recruiting, and organized camps and clinics.
Prior to going to LSU, Smith served as the head coach at Western Carolina in WCU’s inaugural season (2006). The Catamounts compiled a 41-20 record, including a 16-4 in-conference mark that earned them the regular season championship and earned Smith conference Coach-of-the-Year honors. WCU’s offense belted a SoCon record 81 home runs, which ranked third nationally. The Catamounts also ranked among the NCAA Top 50 in slugging percentage, runs, win-loss percentage and batting average.
Smith went to WCU from North Carolina, her alma mater. She helped the Tar Heels with recruiting, fundraising, and oversaw the academic progress of student-athletes, while participating in practice planning and game management. In 2004, Smith helped guide the Tar Heels to a 46-24 record, including a second-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In addition, she directed the Carolina Softball Camps.
Prior to her stay at her alma mater, Smith was an assistant coach at Charlotte for the 2002 season. She worked with the infielders and pitchers, served as hitting coach and organized all recruiting efforts.
Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in exercise and sport science and recreation administration at North Carolina in 1999. As primarily a third baseman, she served as captain her senior season and was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year.
An exceptional student, the Walkertown, N.C., native was named to the ACC Honor Roll on three occasions and made the Dean’s List twice. In 2000, she earned her Master’s of Science degree in human performance and sports studies with a concentration in sports management from the University of Tennessee.
Smith and her husband, Paul Buske, have one son, Cooper.
