Northern Arizona's Mike Smith, the five-time national champion coach and two-time runner-up in cross country, will step down after the conclusion of the 2025 indoor and outdoor seasons, the university announced on Monday. 

Jarred Cornfield, the program's associate head coach in his ninth year with the program, will be appointed with the role after Smith's departure. 

The reveal comes on the heels of a Runner's World report on Sunday that outlined that Smith will become a coach for Nike following his exit from the team. 

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"For the past eight years I have lived out a professional dream coaching at Northern Arizona," Smith said in the release. "It has been my greatest privilege to work with the most loyal and brave student athletes a coach can ask for. We walked a path together through unforgettable moments in our sport, yet I was always most proud of who they became and who they were to each other along the way. It's been an honor of a lifetime to coach at NAU." 

Smith, the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Northern Arizona, currently oversees the men's and women's programs, along with a smattering of professional athletes based in Flagstaff, including former NAU stars like Nico Young (adidas), Abdihamid Nur (Nike) and Luis Grijalva. 

"As we enter Coach Mike Smith's last season, recognizing that his leadership and dedication have elevated our cross country and track and field programs to new heights; we are also thrilled to have our very own Associate Head Coach Jarred Cornfield continue his work as he takes on the role of Head Coach in Waiting," said José Luis Cruz Rivera, the President of NAU.

Smith first joined NAU in 2016 and spent the first months on the job shadowing former coach Eric Heins, who led the Lumberjacks to a national championship in 2016. 

From there, however, he would continue that storied run, finishing no less than second as a team at nationals through the 2024 season, including the clinching of the program's three-peat in 2018 and another three-peat from 2020-2022. 

In that time, Smith developed Olympians like Grijalva, who ran the 5K for his native country Guatemala; Young, who qualified for the U.S. team in the 10K; and Nur, who qualified for the U.S. contingent in the 5K in 2024.

Smith, a five-time national coach of the year, is seen as one of the nation's preeminent developers of talent. His professional lineup of athletes also consists of Nikki Hiltz, Woody Kincaid and Galen Rupp. 

Young and Nur both won individual national titles at NAU, securing 3K and 5K wins in 2022 and 2024, while former stalwarts like Andy Trouard and Geordie Beamish also claimed wins in the 3K indoors and the mile indoors in 2018 and 2019.

"I am excited to remain in Flagstaff as both a fan and supporter of Coach Cornfield's chapter of leadership at NAU, as well as continuing my work within the greater Flagstaff running community," Smith said. 

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