Smith Named Director of Tennis at Moravian
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College has named Head Men’s Tennis Coach Art Smith ’68 the new Director of Tennis to oversee both of the Greyhounds’ programs beginning in 2014-2015.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College has named Head Men's Tennis Coach Art Smith '68 the new Director of Tennis to oversee both of the Greyhounds' programs beginning in 2014-2015.
"We are excited to have Art Smith as our Director of Tennis," stated Director of Athletics Scot Dapp. "When the decision was made to go to one coach for both our men's and women's teams, a national search was conducted. We had a number of very qualified candidates, but Art's work in stabilizing and resurrecting our men's program over the past few years spoke heavily in his favor. Art is very passionate about Moravian College and especially our tennis programs. He is a Greyhound Hall of Famer and is well-respected in the tennis community. Our tennis teams are in good hands."
Over the last three seasons, Smith has led the men's program to a pair of Landmark Conference Tournament appearances, a 12-9 record during the Landmark regular season and 13 Landmark All-Conference selections. Smith's 2014-2015 squad will return all eight players who helped the Hounds to a Landmark Tournament berth this past April.
"It was a tremendous honor and opportunity when I was hired three years ago to coach the Moravian College men's tennis team," Smith explained. "I am equally excited and honored to take over as Director of Tennis for both programs at Moravian. I am looking forward to working with the women's team and to continue the success that they have established in the history of their program."
Smith takes the reigns of the women's program after Dawn Ketterman-Benner retired following the 2013-2014 campaign. Ketterman-Benner led the Greyhounds to a 288-117 record in 28 seasons that included 11 conference championships and NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2011. The women are slated to have eight players return in 2014-2015 from this past season's 14-4 squad, including the reigning Landmark Rookie of the Year in sophomore Brittney Eady.
Smith served as an assistant men's basketball coach at Moravian from 1992 through 2002 and assistant men's tennis coach from 1997-2002. He was inducted into Moravian's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994 for his accomplishments on the tennis courts as a student-athlete from 1966-1968 including reaching the Middle Atlantic Conference Semifinals in 1967 and being named Moravian's Senior Male Outstanding Athlete of the Year in 1968.
In addition to his coaching stints at Moravian, Smith was co-director of the Greyhound Tennis Camp from 1981-1988, and he was the head men's tennis coach at Lehigh University from 1971-1974. On the high school level, Smith has had two stints as the head coach at Parkland High School, most recently from 2003-2009, and he was inducted in the Parkland Hall of Fame in 2002. He also spent two years coaching at Liberty High School.
Smith has been certified in teaching tennis by the United States Professional Tennis Association since 1979 and served as the director of tennis for the city of Bethlehem at Sand Island from 1991 through 2005. He was also the head tennis pro at the Northampton Country Club from 1976 through 1984.
Smith's wife, Susan (Clay), is a 1969 Moravian graduate. The couple's daughter, Caroline, graduated from Moravian in 1996 and was a four-year member of the women's tennis team while their son, Clay, is a 2001 Moravian graduate and played on the men's team during his four years at the institution. Caroline was presented the Robert Martin Herbstman Award in 2006. The Smith's other daughter, Madeline, completed her teacher's certification at Moravian in December 2011 after earning a degree from the Philadelphia University.
