Kyle Smith

Biography

Kyle Smith ’14, a former standout attack for the University of Massachusetts, was named the fifth head coach in program history on August 29, 2025. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in the summer of 2021 and was promoted to associate head coach on Greg Cannella’s staff in the summer of 2024. He enters his fifth season at his alma mater in 2026 and first as head coach. During Smith's tenure back with the Gorillas, Matt Knote earned Third Team USILA All-America honors and his players have combined for 13 Atlantic 10 All-Conference awards, eight NEILA All-New England selections, 47 NEILA All-Academic Team awards and five Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team honors. Smith returned to Amherst following a seven-year stint with Merrimack men's lacrosse, where he helped the Warriors to two Division II National Championships. Smith served as an assistant coach for the Warriors from 2014-2019 before being promoted to associate head coach in August 2019, helping the program transition from Division II to Division I. In Merrimack's two seasons at the Division I level, Smith coached two all-conference freshman team selections, one first-team all-conference honoree and one second-team all-conference player and helped guide the Warriors to a .500 record in just their second season of DI lacrosse. In five years as a Division II assistant coach, Smith was a part of the most successful era of Merrimack Lacrosse in program history as the squad advanced to the Final Four in both 2015