Hitting Coach Eddie Smith

Eddie Smith

VOLUNTEER COACH/HITTING COACH

Eddie Smith was hired as LSU’s hitting coach on July 9, 2019, after working as Tulane’s hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for the previous two seasons.

In his time as the hitting coach at Tulane, the Green Wave rewrote the American Athletic Conference offensive record books, setting alltime records for a season in home runs, batting average, runs per game, slugging percentage, extra base hits and walks per game.

On the recruiting front, the 2019 Tulane recruiting class was recognized by Perfect Game as the #1 recruiting class in the conference.

Prior to coaching at Tulane, Smith spent four seasons as the head coach at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Wash. At LC, the Red Devils won three straight West Region Titles and Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in 2015 and 2017. In 2015 he was named his level’s ABCA National Coach of the Year.

Smith began coaching as an assistant at Virginia for five years, where he helped the program emerge as a national power, winning three ACC Championships and reaching the College World Series in 2009 and 2011. He also was an assistant coach at Santa Clara and Notre Dame.

As a player, Smith spent two years at Notre Dame, where he helped the Fighting Irish to Big East Conference Championships and NCAA Tournament Appearances in both seasons. As a senior in 2006, the team was ranked as high as No. 8 in the country. He received his bachelor’s degree in Spanish and earned All-Big East Academic honors.

His college playing career began at Centralia (Wash.) Community College, helping the Trailblazers set a school record for wins in 2004. He was inducted into the Centralia College Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Smith is married to the former Jennifer Cromwell. A 2010 graduate of the University of Virginia, she was a three-time All American and helped the Cavaliers win the National Championship her senior year in rowing.

The Smith File

Year at LSU: Second Birthdate: February 8, 1984 Hometown: Olympia, Wash. Wife: Jennifer Education: Notre Dame, 2006; B.A. in Spanish

Playing Career

2003-04 Centralia (Wash.) Community College 2005-06 Notre Dame

Coaching Career

2020- LSU (hitting coach) 2018-19 Tulane (hitting coach/recruiting coordinator) 2014-17 Lower Columbia College (head coach) 2013 Notre Dame (asst. coach) 2012 Santa Clara (asst. coach) 2007-11 Virginia (asst. coach)

HISTORY Hunter Kiel

#40 • STUDENT ASSISTANT COACH

The Kiel File

Year at LSU: Second Birthdate: July 18, 1996 Hometown: Florence, Ala. Education: LSU, 2020 B.S. in Sport Administration

Former LSU pitcher Hunter Kiel joined the staff prior to the 2020 season as the Tigers’ undergraduate assistant coach while he pursued a bachelor’s degree in sport administration. He earned his undergraduate degree in May 2020, and he is continuing his education at LSU while working on the baseball staff as student coach. A native of Florence, Ala., Kiel pitched at LSU in 2017, appearing in 10 games out of the bullpen and recording nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings. He was named to the 2017 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. He was selected in the 18th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox and pitched for two seasons in Chicago’s minor league system. Kiel transferred to LSU after pitching at Pensacola State College, where in 2016 he recorded 54 strikeouts in 41 innings of work. He was selected in the 29th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nate Fury, an LSU pitcher in 2013 and 2014, was named in January 2017 as the Tigers’ director of baseball operations. Fury, 30, handles a number of duties, including team travel, budgeting and community relations. Fury, a native of Harahan, La., made 46 career relief appearances for the Tigers, posting a 5-2 record and a 2.45 ERA in 47.2 innings with 38 strikeouts. He made 20 relief appearances in 2013, helping LSU to a College World Series appearance, and he made 26 appearances in 2014, recording a 3-1 mark with a 2.15 ERA. Fury, who has an LSU degree in sports administration, was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 2014 MLB Draft, and he pitched in the minor leagues for three seasons. He was a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll during his LSU career. Fury and his wife, the former Sadie Landrieu, were married in December 2019.

Nate Fury

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

The Fury File

Year at LSU: Fifth Birthdate: February 6, 1991 Hometown: Harahan, La. Education: LSU, 2014 B.S. in Sport Administration