The University of South Carolina has announced the appointment of Matthew Smiley as the new special teams coordinator for the Gamecocks. Head coach Shane Beamer made the announcement today, marking a significant addition to the coaching staff.
At 47 years old, Smiley arrives in Columbia after serving as a special teams analyst at Penn State during the 2025 season. He brings with him a wealth of experience, totaling 21 years in coaching at both the collegiate and professional levels.
Smiley”s professional journey includes an eight-year tenure with the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League, where he was part of Sean McDermott“s coaching staff. He initially worked as the assistant special teams coach for five years, from 2017 to 2021, before being elevated to the role of special teams coordinator from 2022 to 2024.
Before his time in Buffalo, Smiley contributed to the Jacksonville Jaguars for four seasons as an assistant special teams coordinator from 2013 to 2016. His coaching career began in the collegiate ranks at Dartmouth College, where he started as an assistant quarterbacks and specialists coach in 2005, eventually becoming the special teams coordinator in 2006.
Smiley also held roles at Eureka College and Eastern Illinois University, where he was involved in both offensive and defensive coaching. His coaching experience includes a brief period as the interim head coach at Eureka College in 2008.
A native of East Lynn, Illinois, Smiley is a 2001 graduate of the University of Illinois. He also has a military background, having served in the U.S. Air Force for four years as a maintenance officer. During his service, he was deployed overseas multiple times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and earned the U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal.
In 2024, Smiley was nominated by the Bills for the Salute to Service Award, which honors NFL personnel for their exceptional contributions to military and veteran communities. He lives in Columbia with his wife, Marissa, and their four children: Madelyn, Ella, Ava, and Caleb.
