Bio

A former standout defensive back at Mississippi State University, Maurice Smitherman begins his first season as East Mississippi Community College’s defensive backs coach. The Alabama native joined Buddy Stephens’ EMCC coaching staff this past summer.

Prior to getting his first taste of collegiate coaching experience on the Scooba campus, Smitherman most recently served on Mark Freeman’s coaching staff at perennial prep powerhouse Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama, where the 2025 Warriors claimed the program’s sixth AHSAA Class 7A state football championship in the last seven years. As the safeties coach, Smitherman helped develop Auburn signee Damonte Tabb, who was selected to the 2025 The Sporting News High School Football All-America First Team.

Smitherman initially earned valuable sideline experience by guiding the Minor Middle School Tigers to the 2024 Jefferson County Board of Education (JEFCOED) Metro North Championship. As the team’s head coach, he worked with university signees Mykale Hrabowski (UAB) and Corrion Tyson (Samford) at the defensive back position.

A former three-star recruit at Minor High School in Adamsville, Alabama, Smitherman developed into a starting cornerback for Mississippi State as a fifth-year senior. He started the first six games of the 2019 season before being sidelined with a season-ending injury.

After redshirting the 2015 season, Smitherman evenly split four playing seasons competing for head coaches Dan Mullen and Joe Moorhead as a major contributor within the Bulldogs’ defensive secondary. Following two seasons playing primarily on special teams, Smitherman enjoyed his best season in 2018 under the mentorship of former MSU defensive secondary coach Terrell Buckley, who now serves as Mississippi Valley State’s head football coach. That year as a junior, Smitherman was an integral part of a Bulldogs cornerback unit that did not allow a touchdown during the 2018 regular season.

During his playing days on the Starkville campus, Smitherman totaled 48 tackles, two pass interceptions, three pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry in 42 career games played, including eight starts for the Bulldogs. Associated with five postseason bowl teams during his MSU career, he worked for the Bulldogs as a summer intern in 2019 before graduating that December as an SEC Academic Honor Roll awardee with a degree in human development and family sciences.

Smitherman was provided an opportunity to play at the professional level by his former position coach at Mississippi State when he was drafted by Buckley, who served as the head coach of the XFL’s Orlando Guardians during the 2023 season.

Hailing from the Birmingham suburb of Adamsville, Smitherman developed into a three-star recruit during a productive career for head coaches George Bates and Randy Cook at Class 6A Minor High School. He capped his successful prep playing days by being selected to the 2014 Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State First Team and participating in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic.