POMONA – Head Coach Chris Bradford announced the hiring of Darrell Smith as the newest member of the Cal Poly Pomona track & field coaching staff, serving as the coach for sprints.
 
Smith brings over 20 years of both national and international coaching experience to CPP, most recently, serving as the assistant coach for sprints and hurdles at the University of California, Los Angeles.
 
"I'm thankful for the opportunity to add to the Broncos legacy, and to Chris and the administration for trusting in me to do this job," said Smith. "I look forward to this new chapter and challenge in my coaching career. Guiding young men and women through this student-athlete adventure is fun and we will excel on the track the same way we will excel in the classroom."
 
During his five-year span at UCLA, Smith coached three All-Americans while tallying four top-10 all-time finishes in the 100-meter, 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles (indoor) and the 4x100-meter relay.
 
Starting in 2002, Smith also served as the head sprint and hurdles coach at Threshold Athletics Group where he was responsible for recruiting new athletes, implementing annual training programs, and coordinating with international federations on training and competition programs.
 
"I am so excited to have Coach Smith join our staff," said Bradford. "His track record obviously speaks for itself but I have really been impressed with his passion and enthusiasm and I am looking forward to working with him to continue to elevate our program to new levels."
 
In 2012, Smith began as the Men's Development Hurdle Coordinator for the United States of America Track & Field Association. His duties included staying up to date with qualified hurdlers across the country and identifying up and coming hurdlers for development opportunities within USATF.
 
From 1992 through 2002, Smith served as an assistant coach at Hudson Smith International where he traveled both internationally and nationally working with foreign and domestic athletes to improve performance and success at major competitions.
 
Smith also served two stints as the sprint and hurdles coach for the Saudi Arabian Amateur Athletic Federation where he guided the 400-meter sprinters and hurdlers to the country's first ever Olympic medal, world championship finals and various other national and regional records.
 
Throughout his career, Smith has a coached eight Olympic medalist and numerous other world championship and national record holders.
 
Smith graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.