UAH Athletics

Dr. Cade Smith enters his fifth season at the helm of the UAH volleyball program in 2020, after being named the head coach of the Chargers on Feb. 4, 2016.

In four seasons as head coach of UAH, Smith has guided six All-GSC honorees, two All-South Region awardee, one CoSIDA Academic All-American, three CoSIDA Academic All-District performers, five GSC All-Academic distinctions, and 60 GSC Honor Roll recipients.

In 2019, Smith guided the Chargers to the first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005 as the squad owned an overall record of 24-10 and 14-2 in conference play. UAH received three All-GSC honorees in Isabelle Barnes, Abby Brooks and Kendall Scharbert as the most all-league awardees since 2004.

The Chargers continued to grow with Smith at the helm in the 2018 campaign, as the squad notched its first back-to-back 20-win season since 2004-05 and reached the GSC tournament semifinals for the first time since 2012. Smith saw both Isabelle Barnes and Haley Hop garner First Team All-GSC honors, as Hop ended her sensational career as the program's all-time digs leader.

Smith led UAH to its sixth GSC tournament in the past seven years and the program's first 20-win season in 12 years with an overall record of 23-12 and 11-5 in the GSC in 2017, thanks to All-GSC performers Hop and Anna Claire Johnson. Following the season, Johnson became the first CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree in Smith's tenure at UAH.
 
After three successful seasons as the top assistant for UAH volleyball, Smith transitioned to the helm of the Chargers in the 2016 campaign as he turned in the squad’s third consecutive winning season with a 16-15 overall mark.
 
Smith has been an integral part in the steady growth of the UAH volleyball program since coming to Huntsville prior to the 2013 campaign, as the squad has grew its winning percentage each year from 2013-2015. He has also aided in the success of five All-GSC performers and three Academic All-District honorees in his time with the Chargers.
 
Since 2014, Smith has also been involved with the local NASA volleyball club, where he was the head coach of the 18U team in 2014, the 16U team in 2015, and the 17U team in 2016.  His 16U team finished in the top 10 at the AAU national championships.
 
Before joining the UAH volleyball staff in 2013, Smith spent six years coaching at Central Arkansas Christian School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and, in addition to his coaching duties, served two years as the school principal following four years in the classroom. He owned an overall record of 82-60 at CAC and was named 2012 Conference Coach of the Year.
 
Smith originally graduated from Harding in 2005 with a Bachelor’s in physical science and chemistry, and has gone on to earn his Master’s in 2006 and a Doctorate of Education in 2015 from Harding as well. He has additionally earned a Master of Human Resource Management from UAH in 2018.