Eastern Michigan Athletics
Staff Directory
Smith, Wayne
Wayne Smith
- Title:
- Assistant AD for Equipment Operations
- Email:
- Phone:
- 734.487.1029 / 734.487.6478
Wayne Smith is in his 14th year with the Eastern Michigan University Athletic Department and his first as the Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Operations. He was previously an assistant equipment manager at EMU before earning the promotion in August of 2022. Smith first joined the EMU staff as an undergraduate in 2004-05 and was elevated to full-time in 2008.
Smith began working in Eastern’s equipment room as a sophomore and has remained with the department since. Upon graduation, he was hired in a full-time role. In his most recent stint as the assistant equipment manager, Smith was charged with overseeing all day-to-day equipment needs of the men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and numerous Olympic sports programs.
In addition to his daily duties, Smith has served as a key member of the gameday staff at both home and away football games during his tenure. Smith is trained to operate and serves as EMU’s main liaison to CoachComm, the football team’s on-field coaching communication technology. He also played a key role in the logistical planning and operations for EMU football’s first-ever international competition, the 2016 Bahamas Bowl.
Smith has also helped overhaul Eastern’s equipment operations into new levels of efficiency during the last several years, helping to install, implement, and utilize the department’s first fully-digital equipment inventory and scanning system. That undertaking has allowed the department to distribute items to student-athletes and staff more efficiently, while also eliminating the purchase of unnecessary inventory.
At the strategic level, Smith has been involved in numerous initiatives at Eastern. Smith was one of the staffers that first conceptualized and helped implement the EMU equipment spring game sale, a now semi-annual event that allows fans to purchase new or lightly-used, officially licensed EMU gear at discounted prices. The sale has helped EMU raise critical revenue toward departmental goals during its existence. Additionally, Smith has worked with administrators in numerous capacities, and has been Eastern’s main point of contact with multiple local vendors and business owners that serve the University’s athletic equipment operations during his time on campus.
Smith has also helped to oversee and manage equipment’s graduate assistant and student assistant staff during his time in the Green and White.
A Detroit, Mich. native, Smith graduated with his bachelor’s degree in general studies in 2022. He is a member of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA).
He married his wife, Kristal, in 2015, and in 2021, the couple welcomed their first son, Noah.
The Wayne Smith File
Name: Wayne Smith
Hometown: Detroit, Mich. (Cass Technical High School)
College: Eastern Michigan University - Bachelor’s in general studies - 2022
Family: Wife - Kristal, Son - Noah
Professional Experience
Year School/Team Position
2022-Pres. Eastern Michigan University Assistant Athletic Director/Equipment Operations
2008-22 Eastern Michigan University Assistant Equipment Manager
2004-08 Eastern Michigan University Student Equipment Manager
Smith began working in Eastern’s equipment room as a sophomore and has remained with the department since. Upon graduation, he was hired in a full-time role. In his most recent stint as the assistant equipment manager, Smith was charged with overseeing all day-to-day equipment needs of the men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and numerous Olympic sports programs.
In addition to his daily duties, Smith has served as a key member of the gameday staff at both home and away football games during his tenure. Smith is trained to operate and serves as EMU’s main liaison to CoachComm, the football team’s on-field coaching communication technology. He also played a key role in the logistical planning and operations for EMU football’s first-ever international competition, the 2016 Bahamas Bowl.
Smith has also helped overhaul Eastern’s equipment operations into new levels of efficiency during the last several years, helping to install, implement, and utilize the department’s first fully-digital equipment inventory and scanning system. That undertaking has allowed the department to distribute items to student-athletes and staff more efficiently, while also eliminating the purchase of unnecessary inventory.
At the strategic level, Smith has been involved in numerous initiatives at Eastern. Smith was one of the staffers that first conceptualized and helped implement the EMU equipment spring game sale, a now semi-annual event that allows fans to purchase new or lightly-used, officially licensed EMU gear at discounted prices. The sale has helped EMU raise critical revenue toward departmental goals during its existence. Additionally, Smith has worked with administrators in numerous capacities, and has been Eastern’s main point of contact with multiple local vendors and business owners that serve the University’s athletic equipment operations during his time on campus.
Smith has also helped to oversee and manage equipment’s graduate assistant and student assistant staff during his time in the Green and White.
A Detroit, Mich. native, Smith graduated with his bachelor’s degree in general studies in 2022. He is a member of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA).
He married his wife, Kristal, in 2015, and in 2021, the couple welcomed their first son, Noah.
The Wayne Smith File
Name: Wayne Smith
Hometown: Detroit, Mich. (Cass Technical High School)
College: Eastern Michigan University - Bachelor’s in general studies - 2022
Family: Wife - Kristal, Son - Noah
Professional Experience
Year School/Team Position
2022-Pres. Eastern Michigan University Assistant Athletic Director/Equipment Operations
2008-22 Eastern Michigan University Assistant Equipment Manager
2004-08 Eastern Michigan University Student Equipment Manager
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