Zach Smith Takes Over as the New Operations Coordinator for Alabama Adapted Athletics

 Zach Smith is the new Operations Coordinator for the Alabama Adapted Athletics program having started the job in mid-November. Despite having no prior experience with adapted athletics, both Smith and program director Brent Hardin agree that he is the ideal person to take on the job duties.

Smith had worked most recently as an operations intern for the Birmingham Barons Minor League Baseball organization and before that had been a lead marketing intern for University of Alabama at Birmingham athletics while finishing up his degree in Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management from Troy University.

Zach Smith, the new Director of Operations Coordinator for Alabama Adapted Athletics, had worked most recently as an Operations Intern for the Birmingham Barons of Minor League Baseball.

“One of the things we tried to really focus on is demonstrated competency. We look for applicants that have been able to prove through their previous positions, internships or responsibilities that they can do the job here,” said Hardin. “That’s what really jumped out at Zach; he’s worked for UAB in their athletic department, and he’s worked for the Birmingham Barons. He’s already done a lot of the things that we’re asking him to do here at Alabama.”

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Smith had never worked with or even seen adapted athletics before, but, as soon as he started looking into it, he found it fascinating. It wasn't like anything he had seen before anywhere else.

After being impressed by his application, resume, and references, the search committee brought him to campus for an in-person interview.

"He just did a great job answering all the questions in an honest and clear way. I think most of the staff would say he really connected to the committee when he spoke with us," said Hardin. "When we do an interview, we ask a lot of questions and then we bring people here to campus and they spend a lot of time with us. They're in a fishbowl, if you will, for a long period of time, and he blew us away.

After applying for the job in mid-October, Smith got the call from Hardin in late October informing him that he had got the position.

“I was relieved because this is exactly what I wanted,” Smith proclaimed. “I was ecstatic. I definitely want to be here.”

Smith takes over for Davis Faulkner who had been in that position for a year and a half before leaving at the end of October to become the director of operations for golf, tennis, fencing, and gymnastics at Penn State University.

Both Smith and Hardin acknowledge the challenges of making the transition mid-season.

During the time between Faulkner’s last day and Smith’s first day, the men’s wheelchair basketball team played a stand-alone game against Auburn in Albertville and competed in the Jalapenos Invitational which the program hosted. The wheelchair tennis team competed in the Auburn Open.

“It was definitely challenging. It’s the first time we’ve had to do something like this,” acknowledged Hardin. "We are all go right now, but we felt really good about our staff. Everybody has jumped in and taken a good part of Davis’s responsibilities for event management and travel and then all the things we do with accounting and purchasing. It’s been good to see people step up and take pride in making sure that everything happens in a quality way. The show must go on, so we all just pitched in and made it happen.”

See also: Women's Wheelchair Basketball Overcomes Early Deficit to Sweep Powerade Invitational, Remain Unbeaten in Intercollegiate Play

Smith credits the program’s various staff members with helping smooth his transition and early days.

One of Smith’s biggest tasks will be organizing and making arrangements for the women’s college wheelchair basketball national championship tournament which the program is once again hosting this March.