June 19, 2002

ITHACA, N.Y. - Dayna Smith, an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania, has been tabbed as head women's basketball coach at Cornell University.

"We're excited to have Dayna join the Cornell family," said Andy Noel, Cornell Director of Athletics. "She brings a solid background of success, a strong work ethic and an intimate knowledge of the Ivy League. Her enthusiasm and energy are important in maintaining our program's climb toward the top of the conference standings."

Smith becomes the seventh head women's basketball coach at the University. She replaces Marnie Dacko, who accepted the head coaching job at the University of Massachusetts in April. Dacko was 80-104 in seven seasons at the helm of the Big Red program, leading Cornell to back-to-back winning seasons (2000-01 and 2001-02) for the first time in school history.

"I am very honored to be named Head Coach at Cornell," Smith said. "This is an exciting opportunity for me as Cornell is a prestigious institution that is committed to excellence in the classroom and on the court. I am looking forward to continuing the success the women's basketball program has experienced over the last few years and pushing that success to new heights on an annual basis."

Smith spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Penn, helping Cornell's Ivy League rival to the 2000-01 league crown and a trip to the NCAA tournament, as well as a pair of regular season runner-up finishes. Smith had a hand in all aspects of the Quaker program, from scouting and recruiting to coordinating team travel and monitoring the academic progress of the squad.

In her three seasons at Penn, the Quakers posted a 52-31 overall record and a 31-11 Ivy League record, including an undefeated 14-0 conference slate in 2000-01. Smith was instrumental in recruiting one first-team All-Ivy and two All-Rookie players in her short tenure and assisted in the development of two-time Ivy Player of the Year Diana Caramanico, the conference's all-time leading scorer (2,415 points). She also played a role in increasing community support for women's games, initiating the "Penn Pals" program.

Before accepting the position at Penn, Smith held a similar position at her alma mater, Rhode Island. Smith spent three seasons as an assistant for the Rams, including a three-month stint as interim head coach during her final season in Kingston. Her head coaching responsibility came at the age of 25, making her the youngest head coach ever at URI.

The native of Pittsburgh, Pa., quickly climbed the coaching ladder at URI after accepting a third assistant spot following her graduation in 1996. She was promoted the next spring and a year later, became the program's primary assistant. Her on-court responsibilities included working with the guards and coordinating the offense. Away from the court, Smith was the Rams' primary recruiter and maintained the travel and recruiting budgets.

Smith spent three summers as camp director at Rhode Island, facilitating a camp membership growth of 525 percent over a three-year span. She was also responsible for the hiring, training and supervising of more than 50 camp counselors while designing daily camp activities.

One of the top point guards in Atlantic 10 history, Smith helped lead the Rams to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1996, capping a season where URI also captured its first A-10 East Division crown. A two-time first-team all-conference pick, Smith is one of only 11 players in Division I history to score more than 1,000 points and record 750 assists. She rewrote the Rhode Island record book, graduating as the program's all-time assist and three-point field goal leader. She finished second in the nation in assists as a sophomore and ranked fourth as a junior. She ranks among the NCAA top 20 all-time in career assists (20th, 793) and assists per game (12th, 7.14).

A member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, Smith received her degree in business management from Rhode Island in May of 1996.

The Cornell women's basketball team is coming off a 14-13 season in which the Big Red finished a best-ever second place in the Ivy League. The squad returns three starters next season, including All-Ivy point guard Karen Force and juniors Ify Ossai and Lynell Davis.