Megan Smith Season 2025
Megan Smith heads into her fourth season as an assistant coach with the LSU softball program under Yvette Giroaurd. Her primary responsibilities include working with the Tiger infield in addition to assisting with the pitching and hitting aspects of the program.
Smith also shares responsibilities for practice planning and recruiting duties. She organizes camps and clinics along with coaching first base on gameday. The Tigers have recorded three trips to the NCAA Regionals, including the 2007 Super Regionals.
Smith has been instrumental in the development of shortstop Juliana Santos, who picked up NFCA All-South Region First-Team and SEC All-Freshman honors in 2009.
In her first three seasons, Smith guided the LSU infield to its first and third best finishes in program history which included a program best .974 mark during the 2008 season. The .974 fielding percentage also ranked 13th in the NCAA.
During the 2007 season, LSU’s infield was forced to shift players to unfamiliar positions due to injuries and emerged with only 35 errors on a .970 fielding percentage.
Prior to LSU, Smith served as the head coach at Western Carolina for the 2006 inaugural season. The Catamounts compiled a 41-20 record, including a 16-4 mark in the Southern Conference en route to the regular season championship.
A conference-best five Catamounts earned All-SoCon First-Team accolades highlighted by Pitcher of the Year Mendy McKenzie and Freshmen of the Year Jenny Jackson. Smith also was selected SoCon Coach of the Year.
WCU’s offense belted a SoCon record 81 home runs, which ranked third nationally. The Catamounts also ranked inside the NCAA Top 50 in slugging percentage, runs, win-loss percentage and batting average. Two players, McKenzie and Ashley Adams, were named to the NFCA All-Southeastern Region Second Team.
Smith was hired to head the Catamount program from North Carolina, where she also had been a player. As an assistant coach for Donna Papa, she helped the Tar Heels with recruiting, fundraising, and oversaw the academic progress of student-athletes, while participating in practice planning and game management.
In 2004, Smith helped guide the Tar Heels to a 46-24 record, including a second place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while earning an NCAA Regional bid. In addition, she directed the Carolina Softball Camps, overseeing all aspects of the camps.
Prior to her stay at her alma mater, Smith was an assistant coach at Charlotte for the 2002 season. She worked with the infielders, pitchers and served as the hitting coach. The assistant also organized all recruiting efforts for head coach Aimee DeVoss.
Smith served as the head coach at Young Harris College in Georgia from 2000-2001 before jumping to the Division I level. While there, she guided her program to a 79-41 record. Without an assistant coach, she oversaw all aspects of the team, from practice to strength training to academics to fundraising. Her teams recorded a pair of second place finishes at the regional championships and ended one game away from the national tournament in 2001.
During her collegiate career at North Carolina, Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in exercise and sport science and recreation administration. Playing third base primarily, she served as captain during her senior season and broke the school record for RBIs in a game and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.
Also an exceptional student, the Walkertown, N.C., native was named to the ACC Honor Roll on three occasions and made the Dean’s List twice. In 2000, she earned her Master’s of Science degree in human performance and sports studies with a concentration in sports management from the University of Tennessee.
On June 19, 2004, she married Paul Buske. The couple has one son, Cooper Smith Buske, who will turn two on August 6.