Smith Named Director of Volleyball Player Performance and Development

Nebraska volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly announced Tuesday the hiring of Sean Smith as Director of Volleyball Player Performance and Development for the Husker volleyball program. Smith will oversee and coordinate the strength and conditioning program and lead individual player development plans for the Huskers. 

Smith oversaw the strength and conditioning program for Busboom Kelly's Louisville volleyball program from 2018-23, while also working with the Cardinals' track and field and softball programs. He also has served as an independent strength and conditioning and performance coach for professional volleyball players competing both in the U.S. and internationally.  

"I want to thank Troy Dannen for approving this innovative new position in our volleyball program," Busboom Kelly said. "Sean is the ideal fit for our program. His extensive strength and conditioning expertise, combined with his passion for maximizing athlete potential, will drive results. We can't wait to see him wearing scarlet and cream! GBR!" 

Following his time at Louisville, Smith worked as a performance coach for Hintsa Performance and the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team. In addition to managing strength and conditioning services for drivers, pit crew and management, he also coordinated performance psychology, nutrition and sports medicine for the motorsport team. 

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join Nebraska Volleyball,” Smith said. “This program has a tradition that speaks for itself and it’s clear how much it means to the university, the fans and the community, and I’m honored and humbled to be part of that. Having worked with Dani previously, I have a tremendous amount of respect for her leadership and vision, and I cannot wait to get in the gym with our players and staff as we prepare for this season.” 

Smith also has professional experience in hockey as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League. With the Gulls, he designed and implemented strength and conditioning and recovery programs and assisted with athlete profiling and monitoring to inform player development and load management. 

Smith earned a bachelor's degree in health and human performance from the University of Louisville in 2016. He earned a master's in strength and conditioning from Edith Cowan University in 2018.