Bio

Stephanie Smith serves as the Dean of Students at Union Commonwealth University. A native of Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, she graduated from Rockcastle County High School in 1983, where she was a standout athlete on the basketball team from 1979 to 1983. Smith continued her basketball career at Sue Bennett Community College, earning her associate’s degree between 1983 and 1985, before transferring to Campbellsville University. There, she completed her bachelor's degree in Secondary Education in 1988. She later earned a Master of Arts in Education from Oakland City University in 2001.

With a deep passion for the game, Smith went on to coach college basketball for 20 years, earning recognition as the WBCA Coach of the Year in 2003. Her dedication to both education and athletics has left a lasting impact on the students and athletes she’s mentored throughout her career.

Smith is the proud mother of Jared Smith, a 2014 Union College graduate and former member of the football team (2009–2014), and his wife Chelsea. She is also a loving Mamaw to her grandchildren, Blayze (5) and Dottie (3). In her free time, she enjoys reading and traveling.