Ferris State University Men's Football

Hodges coaches the defensive backs for the Bulldogs under head coach Tony Annese and serves as the co-defensive coordinator. In the 2015 campaign, he helped the Bulldogs to a second-straight GLIAC Championship and unbeaten regular season. FSU posted its first NCAA Playoff victory in 19 years and ran its regular-season winning streak to 25 consecutive games. He previously worked under Annese for three years as the defensive backs coach at Grand Rapids Community College and helped the Raiders to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Championship in both 2009 and 2011.  Prior to GRCC, he also was part of Annese's staff that won three state titles as a prep assistant at Muskegon HS.  He gained experience in professional football as the defensive coordinator for the Muskegon Thunder in 2008 and recorded a 22-5 mark as the head junior varsity coach for Muskegon High.  While at Muskegon, he was also the school's head softball and powerlifting coach.  Hodges played collegiately at Ferris State and was a four-year letterwinner who claimed All-GLIAC accolades in 2000.  Overall, he played in 40 games as a Bulldog defensive back and totaled 213 tackles along with six interceptions and 28 passes defended.  He first played prep football under Annese at Montrose High School and broke into coaching as a student assistant at FSU in 2002.  Hodges has served as a teacher or professor at both Muskegon and GRCC.

Smith filled a void created by the departure of former defensive coordinator Lou Esposito, who was named the first-ever head coach at Davenport University.  Prior to FSU, Smith spent nearly 14 years on the Saginaw Valley State coaching staff, helping the Cardinals to unprecedented success under different head coaches. He began his SVSU coaching career during his initial stint from 1999 to 2004. During that period, he coached the linebackers, running backs and tight ends, helping the Cardinals to GLIAC Championship in 2003. After a stint as the defensive coordinator at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill., Smith returned to Saginaw Valley State in 2007. He guided the running backs upon first returning to SVSU before moving to the defensive side of the ball to lead the linebackers the last three years under head coach Jim Collins. In his tenure handling the linebackers at SVSU, Smith developed one of the top linebacking units in the nation. His 2012 unit was led by All-GLIAC honoree Grant Caserta, who was also tabbed as a Capital One Academic All-American. While at SVSU, he helped the Cardinals to six NCAA Division II Playoff appearances. As a collegiate student-athlete, Smith was a four-year starter at linebacker for Lakeland College. He was a two-time all-conference performer and chosen as the conference defensive player of the year in each of his final two campaigns. Smith received his bachelor's degree from Lakeland in marketing and international business with a minor in Spanish. He later earned a master's degree from SVSU in 2001 with an emphasis in business administration. Smith and his wife, Brooke, have twin daughters, Adalie and Amari.