“From the second I walked into my interview; I felt a spark,” said Hannah Smith, head volleyball coach for the Dublin Lady Lions. “There’s just this energy in Dublin ISD— something special brewing. The coaching staff feels like a family, and the support system is strong, like the kind you pray for as a coach and parent.”
Smith started as a trainer for Camp Gladiator when she was approached about leading the Lingleville Cardinal volleyball program in 2019 and she helped lead them to the playoffs as Bi-District champions in 2021.
She has spent the last four years at Three Way where she coached high school and junior high in volleyball, basketball, track, cross country and powerlifting.
“In a small school you learn to adapt and wear whatever hat the day or season may call for,” Smith said. “I’m grateful for every moment spent in each sport. This sharpened my knowledge and skills regarding each sport and gave me the edge of being flexible in training and execution.”
The coach said her proudest moments were “watching kids fall back in love with sports, especially the ones who had been burned by bad experiences.”
Smith has been working on camps at Dublin through the summer, leading the volleyball summer camp and getting to know her fellow coaches.
“Summer camp turnout was awesome!,” she exclaimed. “So many girls showed up ready to work— and trust me, that fires me up. Many of them are multisport athletes, which speaks volumes about their work ethic and heart. They’ve told me they’re excited to have me here, and the feeling is mutual.”
“As for the coaching staff, we’ve already had a ton of laughs,” she continued. “Coaching school was a blast, full of great conversations and likeminded energy. Everyone’s chasing more; more learning, more success, more for the kids. That’s my kind of environment.” Smith is excited about her new position with Dublin ISD, particularly about getting to teach P.E. as well as coach.
Her main goal as coach for the upcoming season? “I want our record to reflect the work we put in,” Smith “ Wins don’t just show up because you want them, they arrive when you grind. During two-a-days, the Lady Lions and I will be setting our goals together. I want them invested in the process and bought into the culture we’re building. This isn’t just about wins, it’s about growing as competitors and as people.”
To the parents of Dublin, she wanted to say: “I’m not perfect. I mess up, I reflect, I get better—and that’s exactly what I’ll be teaching your daughters. Mistakes aren’t failures, they’re fuel! Wins are earned, and losses are lessons. I just ask that you give me a shot. Keep an open mind. Know that I’ll give your kids everything I’ve got and I’ll never stop pushing for more. Even when we’re at the top, I’ll still be asking, what’s next? Because being ‘enough’ just isn’t in my vocabulary.”
Lady Lions will start two-a-days Friday, Aug. 1and then continue Monday, Aug. 4-Thursday, Aug. 7. Sessions will be in the Neff Gym from 7 a.m.-9 a.m. and from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. (High school athletes must attend all sessions.) Athletes should bring a water bottle, tennis shoes, knee pads and a hair tie.