Bryan Smothers is in his third season as an assistant coach. Smothers’ responsibilities include player development, recruiting, scouting, and advising. Smothers work primarily with the guards and was influential in the development of Marcus Hammond as he earned 2019-20 All-MAAC First Team honors.
Smothers spent five seasons (2014-19) with the University of Michigan men’s basketball program. He was a graduate manager from 2014-16 before being hired as the program’s video analyst from 2016-19.
Smothers directed all aspects of U-M's video program, including opponent scout preparation, player development videos, recruit film evaluations and analytics. He supervised the Team Blue managerial program as well as other general office duties.
During his time with the Wolverines, he was a part of four straight NCAA Tournament teams including the 2018 national runner-up.
Before joining the Wolverine staff, he was a student assistant coach at Wayne State from 2011-13. He assisted with film breakdown, recruiting, day-to-day practice operations, and served as the study table coordinator. During the 2013-14 season, he was elevated to the graduate assistant for the program.
Before joining the Wayne State staff, he was a four-year letterwinner (2007-11) for the Wayne State Warriors. As a senior, he was selected to the Daktronics All-Midwest Region Second Team and the NABC All-Midwest Region Second Team as well as voted to the All-GLIAC South Division First Team and the South Division All-Defensive Team.
During his career, he played in 101 career games and became only the second player in Wayne State history to record 1,100 points, 300 assists, and 300 rebounds. He finished 10th in school history with 1,175 career points. He also ranks second in both career free throw percentage (85.4 percent) and minutes played (3,249; 32.1 career average).
He was inducted into the
Wayne State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.
A native of Pontiac, Mich., he prepped at Pontiac Northern High School from 2004-07 where he played three years on the varsity basketball team and was voted captain his senior season.
Smothers was selected to the 2019 Under Armour 30-Under-30 Team, which represents 30 of the most outstanding men’s college basketball coaches under the age of 30, on April 16, 2019.
Smothers graduated from Wayne State with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2011 and completed his masters of social work from the University of Michigan in 2016. He and his wife, Sandy (Abaunza), have two children, Santana and Sebastian.
