Will Smith enters his first season as the director of basketball operations for Northern Illinois University after spending the previous three campaigns serving in the same capacity on the Colorado staff under head coach Ricardo Patton.

As the director of basketball operations for NIU, Smith will be responsible for travel, practice plans, film exchange, game-by-game scouting and academics.

Smith, who was Patton's first recruit at Colorado, played for the Buffaloes from 1996-2000. During that span, Smith played on three postseason teams, including the 1997 NCAA Tournament and the 1999 and 2000 National Invitational Tournament squads.

Following his collegiate career, Smith played for the Colima Tuberos of the LNBP league in Colima, Mexico.

Prior to coming to Boulder, Smith arrived from Atlanta, Ga., after spending a year with Philips Medical System as a database-website assistant administrator. Prior to Atlanta, he was an instructor/facilitator at Brighton High School in Brighton, Tenn.

Smith is married to the former Crystal Blanchard; and he has an eight-year old son, Caleb.