Smith Steps Down as Hockey Coach
4/23/2026 1:48:00 PM | Ice Hockey
Syracuse women's ice hockey head coach Britni Smith announced she will step down from her position in order spend more time with family.
"I have made the difficult decision not to renew my contract as head coach at Syracuse University so I can be closer to home and family," Smith said. "The young women in our program deserve the full attention and commitment of their coach, and after more than a decade of putting my coaching career first and being away from home, I've chosen to prioritize my personal life and time with family. This decision was made with their best interests in mind, as I know I can't fully commit to both this role and my personal priorities in the way they deserve.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the student-athletes, coaches, staff, and administrators for the opportunity to lead this program over the past four years. It has been a privilege to represent the Block S alongside such amazing people. I will always value the relationships built and the memories made during my time here, and I wish the program continued success and growth in the years ahead."
Smith was appointed head coach in May 2022 and has led the Orange to the semifinal round of the Atlantic Hockey America Tournament in each of the last two seasons. A respected coach at the international level, Smith was selected as a member of the Canadian National Team's coaching staff, where she coached the silver medal winning squad at the 2026 Olympics.
"Britni has been an outstanding representative of Syracuse Athletics and exemplified what it means to be Orange," said Director of Athletics John Wildhack. "Her commitment to developing young women of character and excellence has left a lasting impact on this program. We fully support her decision and wish her nothing but the best. She'll be forever Orange."
Her players have excelled both on and off the ice in her tenure. In addition to 14 student-athletes earning conference postseason awards, every member of the team was named to the 2025 Atlantic Hockey America All-Academic Team, showcasing their commitment to academics.
Orange student-athletes earned the Hockey Humanitarian Award, an ACC Postgraduate Scholarship, two AHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards and a CSC Academic All-District selection in her four seasons at the helm of the program.
A national search is underway for the next head coach of the Syracuse women's hockey program.
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"I have made the difficult decision not to renew my contract as head coach at Syracuse University so I can be closer to home and family," Smith said. "The young women in our program deserve the full attention and commitment of their coach, and after more than a decade of putting my coaching career first and being away from home, I've chosen to prioritize my personal life and time with family. This decision was made with their best interests in mind, as I know I can't fully commit to both this role and my personal priorities in the way they deserve.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the student-athletes, coaches, staff, and administrators for the opportunity to lead this program over the past four years. It has been a privilege to represent the Block S alongside such amazing people. I will always value the relationships built and the memories made during my time here, and I wish the program continued success and growth in the years ahead."
Smith was appointed head coach in May 2022 and has led the Orange to the semifinal round of the Atlantic Hockey America Tournament in each of the last two seasons. A respected coach at the international level, Smith was selected as a member of the Canadian National Team's coaching staff, where she coached the silver medal winning squad at the 2026 Olympics.
"Britni has been an outstanding representative of Syracuse Athletics and exemplified what it means to be Orange," said Director of Athletics John Wildhack. "Her commitment to developing young women of character and excellence has left a lasting impact on this program. We fully support her decision and wish her nothing but the best. She'll be forever Orange."
Her players have excelled both on and off the ice in her tenure. In addition to 14 student-athletes earning conference postseason awards, every member of the team was named to the 2025 Atlantic Hockey America All-Academic Team, showcasing their commitment to academics.
Orange student-athletes earned the Hockey Humanitarian Award, an ACC Postgraduate Scholarship, two AHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards and a CSC Academic All-District selection in her four seasons at the helm of the program.
A national search is underway for the next head coach of the Syracuse women's hockey program.
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