Weber State University has hired a new coach to its football staff. WSU head football coach Jody Sears announced last week the hiring of Ryan Smaha as assistant coach to the Wildcat team. Smaha will be the new special teams coach for the football team this season.

“We are really pleased to have Ryan join our staff and know he will be a great fit for us,” Sears said. “He brings a lot of energy and passion to our program and is very loyal. I have worked with him before, and know that he is an excellent teacher of the game.”

Smaha has a long resume of football knowledge and previous coaching experience. Before joining the Wildcats this season, he was employed at Idaho State University as an assistant coach in 2011. During his time there, he served as the coach of the outside linebackers with the Bengals.

The newly acquired coach spent his time in 2010 with Western Oregon University, where he worked and specialized as the tight ends coach. While there, he also spent his time as an assistant to the offensive coordinator and the offensive line coach in directing the strategies and setup of the running game. He also structured the organization of the walk-on players and tracked player participation.

Smaha worked with the Swarco Raiders during the summer of 2010. The Raiders are a semi-professional team based out of Innsbruck, Austria, and are one of the most successful teams of American football based in Austria, as well as all of Europe.

Smaha worked with Sears at Washington State University from January 2007 to April 2010. While there, he worked as a graduate assistant coach. While working with the Cougars, Smaha coached the Sam linebackers in 2008-09 and served as an assistant to the defensive backs coach in 2007. He also worked as a defensive and special teams coach during this time.

From 2004 to 2006, Smaha’s held his first coaching job at ISU. His first job at ISU consisted of serving as the assistant recruiting coordinator.

Smaha is originally from Pullman, Wash., and he played his college football career at the University of Eastern Oregon during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Smaha played defensive back during his time with the Mountaineers.

The new WSU football coach earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and marketing from EOU in 2004, and graduated with his master’s degree in higher education administration in 2011.