University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Savannah Smith announced as Women's Basketball Director of Creative Strategy and Basketball Operations
9/30/2021 1:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
GREELEY, Colo. – A member of Northern Colorado Women's Basketball royalty is back on the sidelines this season. Head coach Kristen Mattio has announced Savannah Smith as the Director of Creative Strategy and Basketball Operations.
"The opportunity to bring back the all-time leading scorer and one of the best players to ever put on the blue & gold jersey in our program is incredibly exciting!" Mattio said. "Savannah has left a legacy here at our university, in our community and in the hearts of her teammates and coaches she played for.
"She has a heart for people and serving others, and it's left a strong impression on me when we first met. She truly loves UNC and relished her time as a Bear. Many will remember her for the phenomenal talent she was on the court and the many records she set. However, she is extremely gifted in countless areas off the court as well. We are excited to see her bring many gifts and multiple Northern Colorado degrees to our coaching staff and program. Plain and simple… she is a winner!"
Smith previously served as a graduate manager for the team, completing her MBA in the Spring of 2021.
The Colorado native is no stranger to UNC basketball. In her junior season (2017-18), Smith helped guide UNC to its first-ever Big Sky regular season and postseason title, followed by the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
During her playing career as a Bear, Smith was named Big Sky MVP for the 2017-18 season and was a three-time, All-Big Sky First team selection. Smith was named 2018 Big Sky Tournament MVP, leading UNC to its first appearance in the NCAA tournament in program history. In the Big Sky Tournament, Smith broke the scoring record with 78 points in three games played. She was also named the 2018 Colorado Sportswoman of the Year.
Smith is Northern Colorado's all-time leading scorer with 2,013 points. The former UNC guard holds career records in field goals attempted (1775), three-point field goals made (300) and three-point field goals attempted (943). Smith holds single-season records in points (708), points per game (22.8), field goals attempted (645), three-point field goals made (114), three-point field goals attempts (371) and free throw percentage (.928). Further adding to her career resume, the Fort Collins native posted two, 40-point games in 2019 that set the program mark for points in a single game. Smith also holds single-game marks in field goals attempted (31), three-point field goals made (9) and three-point field goals attempted (24).
Smith was also the first player in program history to be named College Sports Madness Mid-Major Player of the Week in 2016.
To stay up to date on all things UNC Women's basketball, visit UNCBears.com, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the new UNC Athletics app by clicking here.
"The opportunity to bring back the all-time leading scorer and one of the best players to ever put on the blue & gold jersey in our program is incredibly exciting!" Mattio said. "Savannah has left a legacy here at our university, in our community and in the hearts of her teammates and coaches she played for.
"She has a heart for people and serving others, and it's left a strong impression on me when we first met. She truly loves UNC and relished her time as a Bear. Many will remember her for the phenomenal talent she was on the court and the many records she set. However, she is extremely gifted in countless areas off the court as well. We are excited to see her bring many gifts and multiple Northern Colorado degrees to our coaching staff and program. Plain and simple… she is a winner!"
Smith previously served as a graduate manager for the team, completing her MBA in the Spring of 2021.
The Colorado native is no stranger to UNC basketball. In her junior season (2017-18), Smith helped guide UNC to its first-ever Big Sky regular season and postseason title, followed by the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
During her playing career as a Bear, Smith was named Big Sky MVP for the 2017-18 season and was a three-time, All-Big Sky First team selection. Smith was named 2018 Big Sky Tournament MVP, leading UNC to its first appearance in the NCAA tournament in program history. In the Big Sky Tournament, Smith broke the scoring record with 78 points in three games played. She was also named the 2018 Colorado Sportswoman of the Year.
Smith is Northern Colorado's all-time leading scorer with 2,013 points. The former UNC guard holds career records in field goals attempted (1775), three-point field goals made (300) and three-point field goals attempted (943). Smith holds single-season records in points (708), points per game (22.8), field goals attempted (645), three-point field goals made (114), three-point field goals attempts (371) and free throw percentage (.928). Further adding to her career resume, the Fort Collins native posted two, 40-point games in 2019 that set the program mark for points in a single game. Smith also holds single-game marks in field goals attempted (31), three-point field goals made (9) and three-point field goals attempted (24).
Smith was also the first player in program history to be named College Sports Madness Mid-Major Player of the Week in 2016.
To stay up to date on all things UNC Women's basketball, visit UNCBears.com, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the new UNC Athletics app by clicking here.
Tuesday, March 24
Friday, March 20
Tuesday, March 17
Tuesday, March 03
