Matthew Smiley has been appointed as the special teams coordinator for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team. The announcement was made by head coach Shane Beamer.
Smiley, who is 47 years old, brings more than two decades of coaching experience to the position. In 2025, he worked as a special teams analyst at Penn State. His professional career also includes eight years with the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League. From 2017 to 2021, he served as assistant special teams coach under Sean McDermott and was promoted to special teams coordinator from 2022 to 2024.
Before joining the Bills, Smiley held the role of assistant special teams coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars between 2013 and 2016.
A native of East Lynn, Illinois, Smiley graduated from the University of Illinois in 2001. He started his coaching career at Dartmouth College in 2005 as an assistant quarterbacks and specialists coach before becoming special teams coordinator there in 2006. He then spent two seasons at Eureka College serving as offensive coordinator in 2007 and defensive coordinator in 2008, including a period as interim head coach.
From 2009 to 2011, Smiley was running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Eastern Illinois. In 2012, he took on similar responsibilities at Charleston Southern before moving into NFL coaching roles.
Smiley’s background also includes four years of service in the U.S. Air Force as a maintenance officer based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. During his military tenure, he was deployed overseas four times for Operation Enduring Freedom and received the U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal for his service. While stationed domestically between deployments, he coached football specialists at the University of North Dakota.
In recognition of his commitment to supporting military communities, Smiley was nominated by the Buffalo Bills for the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA in 2024. The award honors those in the NFL who demonstrate exceptional efforts toward honoring and supporting military personnel and veterans.
Smiley is married to Marissa and they have four children: Madelyn, Ella, Ava, and Caleb.
