Ashley Smuda enters her first year as an assistant coach for the Park University Gilbert softball team.
Smuda brings with her an extensive history of coaching, spanning back to 2010. Most recently, she was the assistant coach at Scottsdale Community College from 2017 to 2021, and the Scottsdale Miss Softball Clinic Coordinator from 2016 to 2021.
As a pitching coach, Smuda was responsible for the “development of solid and safe pitching fundamentals and progressive skill and knowledge development”. She first began pitch coaching in 2004.
After graduating from Horizon High School in 2006, Smuda signed with the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the No. 1 starter on the Utah pitching staff during the 2008 season, and was an All-MWC selection.
During her junior season, Smuda was ranked fifth among Mountain West Conference pitchers and finished seventh in the league with 124.2 innings and 82 strikeouts. She threw four no-hitter games, which is just two less than the school record made by Ali Sagas.
She finished her time as a Ute with 124 appearances, tying her for fifth place in University of Utah history.
Concluding her time at the University of Utah, Smuda traveled to the Netherlands where she competed on the Oosterhout softball club. From there, she moved to New Zealand where played for the Canterbury Softball Association.
Smuda currently owns Spin, Spot, Speed, a private coaching business, and lives locally with her husband Matthew O’Hair. When she is not coaching, she is out competing in half and full marathons.
