Matt Smaby named UND's associate head coach

GRAND FORKS — Matt Smaby came within a goal of leading the Waterloo Black Hawks to the United States Hockey League's Clark Cup.

Waterloo lost to the Muskegon Lumberjacks 4-3 in overtime of a decisive Game 5 on Tuesday night in Young Arena.

Now, Smaby will try to help lead UND to the top of college hockey.

Smaby has been named UND's associate head coach, completing the Fighting Hawks' full-time staff under new head coach Dane Jackson.

Smaby was the lone finalist for the job.

UND waited to finish the deal to allow Smaby and Waterloo to chase the USHL title.

The four full-time coaches will be Jackson, Smaby, assistant coach Dillon Simpson and general manager Bryn Chyzyk.

"UND has always been a special place to me," Smaby said. "My time at UND, both as a student-athlete and a coach, have molded me into the person, coach, father and husband I am today. When I had the chance to sit down with coach Jackson, what was most evident was his passion and love for UND hockey. Sharing that same passion, our visions aligned for what was needed to bring the program to the top of college hockey. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to work alongside coach Jackson and the rest of the staff, and I’m anxious to get to work."

Jackson said he's excited to add Smaby to the staff.

"Much like his playing days, his teams brought a strong work ethic and tenacity to everything they did, and we are excited to have that in our program," Jackson said. "He has succeeded at every level he has played and coached at and knows what it takes to win the right way."

Smaby will come to UND after his best season in Waterloo, where he led the Black Hawks to their first final in a decade.

Waterloo beat Lincoln, the USHL's Anderson Cup champion as the league's best regular-season team, in the Western Conference Final. The Black Hawks also knocked out Sioux Falls and Tri-City.

It was an impressive run for Waterloo, which lost both of its goaltenders to injury at the end of the regular season.

Waterloo called up draft pick Carter Casey from Grand Rapids, Minn., to serve as the team's goaltender for the entire playoff run. Casey hadn't played a game since mid-February when he was called.

East Grand Forks forward Brock Schultz played a key role on Waterloo's team but suffered a season-ending injury during the middle of the playoff run.

Smaby's coaching career started at UND as a student assistant coach from 2017-19.

He spent one year as an assistant for Salzburg in Austria's top league before returning to Grand Forks to lead the youth hockey association.

In 2021, he took the Waterloo job.

He coached the Black Hawks for four seasons.

Smaby was a finalist for UND's head coaching job in March. He interviewed twice for it.

Smaby, a Minneapolis native, came to UND in 2003 after two years at Shattuck-St. Mary's.

He played three years for UND, serving as team captain as a junior. UND went to NCAA Frozen Fours during his sophomore and junior season.

Smaby played four seasons in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also played for Tampa's top minor-league affiliate.

He moved to Germany from 2013-17, where he played for Munich. Smaby led Munich to back-to-back championships in his final two years.

Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald's circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.