Miami University Director and Head Coach of Cross Country/Track and Field Russ Peterson announced the addition of assistant coach Jaz Smith to his staff today. Smith will work with the RedHawks' sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers.
 
"I'm looking forward to working with the staff and the team to continue on Miami's path of Graduating Champions," Smith said.
 
Smith comes to Miami after serving as an intern and assistant coach with the Hanover College track and field program since August 2024. She assisted the Panthers with recruiting, scheduling and preparation and helped initiate changes to improve the quality of Hanover's program.
 
From 2022-2024, Smith served as a social media manager with Northern Illinois University's athletics department. She also helped as a volunteer coach for the Huskies' track and field teams from 2023-2024, assisting with setting up markings and taking down times for student-athlete workouts. Smith filled in before and after events when coaches were unavailable and traveled with NIU Track and Field to shadow the Huskies' coaches at championship meets.
 
Smith was previously an award-winning student-athlete at Northern Illinois, winning the MAC long jump title in 2021 en route to earning First Team All-Conference honors. She was also named Second-Team All-MAC in both indoor track and field and outdoor track and field during her career and was recognized as Academic All-MAC in 2024. Smith set the indoor (6.13m) and outdoor (6.15m) long jump record at NIU.
 
Smith graduated from Northern Illinois in 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and completed her Master's of Sports Management at NIU in May 2025.
 
"It's a special moment for us to bring Jaz back to Oxford, where she won the MAC long jump title in 2021," said Peterson. "As a former top-tier athlete, she has already proven her skill and dedication.
 
"I'm incredibly excited to be a part of her coaching journey and see the significant impact she will have on our program and student-athletes."