Former Cumberland standout wrestler, Tyler Smith returns to CU for his second season as the full-time assistant coach in 2022-23.

Smith helped Cumberland finish eighth overall in his first season along with helping coach NAIA National Champion Cole Smith and three other NAIA All-Americans. 

Smith was a decorated wrestler that has turned into a competitive coach at the NAIA and High School level. He compiled over 120 wins in his collegiate career as well as won the Mid-South Conference Championship with Cumberland in 2016.

His senior year in 2015-16, he posted a 27-11 record while reaching the NAIA National Tournament. Smith used a fifth-place finish in the East Regional to earn a wild card berth to the tournament while serving as the team captain. In his junior campaign, Smith put together a 27-14 record going 3-2 against nationally-ranked opponents. 

The Calhoun, Ga., native went on to coach at Southeastern University as the graduate assistant in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Over the two seasons, the Fire posted four NAIA All-Americans with 10 NAIA National Qualifiers. Southeastern recorded a 12th place finish in 2018 at the National Tournament. 

Smith moved on to accept a head coach job at Celebration High School in 2018 where he worked until accepting this position. Smith was awarded the Orange Belt Conference Coach of the Year award in 2019. Celebration won 48 dual meets during his tenure with two state placers and three state qualifiers with 33 region qualifiers.

Celebration produced three individual district runner-ups throughout his tenure and finished as the 2019 3A-5 District Dual Runner-Up in 2019.  The 2019 team finished 18th at the Florida state tournament.

He earned his bachelor's degree in health and human performance with an emphasis in education from Cumberland in May 2016 and his master's from Southeastern in ministerial leadership in May 2018.