Smith resigns as Huron girls basketball coach

HURON — Huron's summer of new coaching hires will continue. Matt Smith has resigned as the Tigers' girls basketball coach, notifying athletic director Matthew Ayers of his decision Tuesday. Smith, who teaches math at Huron High School, was head coach for just one season, leading the Tigers to a 7-16 overall record and a 2-8 mark in the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division. Smith said the decision to step down was a difficult one, but his focus is on his family. "It was a really hard decision for me to make; I'm truly going to miss the girls," Smith said. "We had a great summer and I was looking forward to the program continuing to grow. They're gonna have a really good year." Smith's daughter Mya — a 6-foot-1 rising junior — is a volleyball standout who started in basketball last season. She also plays club volleyball for an organization in Cleveland with an eye on competing in college in that sport. His son Lincoln will be a freshman at Perkins and is a multi-sport athlete. "It's in the best interests of my family to step away, mainly because I won't be able to give the basketball program the time that it needs," Smith said. Ayers talked with Smith on Tuesday about the future of the girls basketball program. "It seemed like good timing and a good time to step away," said Ayers of Smith's decision. "Mya's been getting some serious looks in volleyball and that became a little bit more of his focus. "His son is at Perkins and he wants to put more time into his family and that's a big commitment in itself. He wants to be the best dad he can." Smith was hired to coach in June 2025 after spending one season as an assistant coach under Darius Schaeffer, who left Huron for an assistant principal position at Warren High School in southeast Ohio. Smith previously was an athletic director and boys basketball assistant coach at Perkins and also worked at Margaretta. Ayers posted the job opening Wednesday morning. "We'll get a committee together and start talking to people next week," he said. "We're posting it until it's filled, and hopefully fill it before August. Obviously, if we don't have an applicant we love we're gonna leave it open until we do." Ayers filled four coaching positions in June: boys basketball (Kyle Hammond), baseball (Gunner Becker), softball (Hailee Sage) and boys golf (Matt Gainer). The girls basketball season begins October 30. "The summer stuff is already kind of done at this point," Ayers said. "They're just doing some open gyms." Huron's girls have had three straight losing seasons, including a 52-21 tournament-opening loss to Willard in late February. The Tigers had only two seniors last season, including leading scorer Addie LaCivita. Along with Mya Smith, Jenna Cox, Reece Hotz and Adelyn Van Sickle also were standouts in volleyball and basketball last season. "We'd like to have a coach who's ready for that next step and creates a basketball identity," Ayers said. "It's just been missing for a little bit. That's coming from someone who hasn't been around it a long time, but someone who's talked to people in the community." Ayers, who was hired as athletic director two years ago, wants to see girls basketball rise to the level of other successful girls sports at Huron. "Huron is an unique job," he said. "Girls cross country has had success, girls track has had success. Volleyball has always been successful. Tennis and soccer are on the rise. Coming in, the coach will have to navigate those different sports and create the program's own culture. "We're looking for someone who's upbeat and energetic and someone who knows they have to fill a role here," Ayers said. "There will be years when Huron basketball is good and they'll win 15 games. We're looking for that 20-win season and a district championship. That would be awesome."