Yannik Smith joins the Mocs family as an assistant coach for the men’s soccer team.
“I have a lot of knowledge from my successful playing career at Old Dominion University. I also played professionally, so I have a lot to offer the players and I hope I can be a good addition to the program,” Smith said.
His goal for the men’s soccer team is to win a national championship.
“I think it is important to set our goals high and I believe we have the talent to achieve this,” Smith said.
Head coach Ryan Sniegoski was Smith college coach and he also recruited him from high school.
“He’s known that I wanted to get into the coaching field and he contacted me when the position opened up and I was delighted to accept the offer, “Smith said.
This is Smith’s first time as an assistant college coach.
“I played forward at Old Dominion from 2009-2012 and then professionally in Finland in 2013 and in Dayton Ohio this past year for the Dayton Dutch Lions in the USL-Pro,” Smith said.
Smith gets along with the team.
“The guys on this team are great. They are all hard working and ready to learn,” Smith said.
Even though he is new to the team, his ideas and tactics are very similar to what the team is used to.
“I am thrilled to be part of the Mocs family,” Smith said.
Seeing players improve is what Smith enjoys the most about coaching.
“All the players on our roster have talent and seeing them reach their potential will be something I look forward to and will enjoy,” Smith said.
Smith believes that the team will be better compared to last “season’s success.”
“After making the conference tournament for the first time in seven years it would be easy to be satisfied but we are working even hard to go as far as we possibly this season,” Smith said. To Smith one of the weaknesses of the men’s soccer team is having young players.
“But that is no excuse we have good veteran players who will help the younger players,” Smith said
Also the team has strengths in depth according to Smith.
“We have a lot of quality players who could potentially start and give us quality minutes so the completion to start will be great. It will make all the players work that much harder,” Smith said.
