North Carolina State University Athletics
Dennis Smith Leaves Men’s Tennis Program to Become Head Coach at Elon
9/15/2026 9:06:00 AM | Men's Tennis
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State men's tennis assistant coach Dennis Smith has announced that he will step down from his position with the Wolfpack to become the head men's tennis coach at Elon University.
Smith joined the NC State coaching staff as a volunteer coach for the 2022-23 season before being elevated to a full-time assistant coach in 2023.
During his time at NC State, Smith played an integral role in the program's continued success, including helping guide the 2024-25 squad to a historic season where the Wolfpack advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, had two All-Americans, a 22-win season, a new program record for most conference wins with 12, and made its second-ever ITA National Team Indoors appearance.
Smith also played a key role in the development of the doubles team of Joe Wayand and Rafa Izquierdo Luque. Serving as the duo's lead coach during the 2023-24 season, Smith guided Wayand and Izquierdo Luque to an ITA Regional Championship in the fall and an at-large berth in the NCAA Doubles Championship in the Spring.
Under Smith's guidance, Wayand and Izquierdo Luque advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals and earned All-America honors.
A Raleigh native, Smith graduated from NC State in 2020 with a degree in business administration.
