Saint Vincent College

Name: Aaron Smetanka
Position: Head football coach
Years at Saint Vincent: Entering my fifth season.
Undergraduate Alma Mater/Year: Saint Vincent College, C’12
Undergraduate Degree: Business Management
College Playing Experience: Football – three years at Robert Morris University; two at SVC.


Why did you choose to pursue a coaching career?
To impact people in a positive manner moving forward in Llfe. Since I was in kindergarten, I always wrote that I want to help others as my dream job growing up. I believe the answer stemmed from my parents. My parents have always been great role models in how they helped others in sports, community service, at church, or any school activities growing up. Since a young age, I always loved sports and had many great coaches throughout soccer, baseball, basketball, and football. The influence my parents and coaches had on my life was more than winning games. I started to see this more often toward the end of my college playing career at Saint Vincent College while spending more time around Coach Bob Colbert, Coach Bret Colbert, and Coach Bernie Colbert. Those two years showed why I wanted to coach football in college, as long as it was God's Plan. I always loved the game of football, but it was how you can impact people in a positive manner moving forward in life. College is the most important time in an individual’s life to help mold their future and I want to be the head coach that always shares a special bond for life with his players and coaching staff. This is why our team motto is Rise Together.

What is your favorite part of the job?
The relationships with players, our coaching staff, faculty, and administration.  

What makes Saint Vincent College an enjoyable place at which to coach?
The people. Everyone on campus is just extremely welcoming.   

What is your typical pre-game routine?
For home games, I eat a breakfast of egg whites, oatmeal and blueberries; pray at the Mary, Mother of Wisdom chapel when I arrive on campus; review play calls for the game; eat a protein bar with water; Go onto the field for pregame stretching and warm-ups; eat a Smucker’s Uncrustables sandwich; talk and pray with the team; meet with the captains about our coin flip decision; and take the field with the team.

Favorite television show?
I don’t have a favorite show. When I watch television, I watch sporting events, documentaries, or stand-up comedians.
 
Favorite food?
Chicken.

Who is your favorite athlete of all-time?
Tim Tebow.

What is your favorite current athlete?
Aaron Donald.   

What is your favorite moment as a sports fan?
The Steelers beating the Cardinals in Super Bowl 43.   
 
How do you spend an off day?
Hanging out with my wife, Courtney, son, Carter, and daughter, Kennedy.    
 
What is something that most people don’t realize about coaching college football?
The majority of your time is not spent coaching X’s and O’s.  

What is your proudest coaching accomplishment?
Our team having a GPA over 3.0 during the spring 2023 semester.   

What is your proudest athletic accomplishment?
Defeating Washington & Jefferson, 35-27, on Oct. 8, 2011.
 
Why should a student-athlete consider attending Saint Vincent College?
Saint Vincent College is a great institution for student-athletes. Our current job placement rate is at 98 percent, the student-teacher ratio is 11-1 and 92 percent of full-time faculty are Ph.D. certified. Everyone is very welcoming and treats you as family. As a football program, we had back to back bowl eligible years with a team GPA over 3.0. The campus is more than 200 acres, you can park on campus all four years, and we break ground for a new indoor sports complex (Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center this year. The campus is less than two miles from the Arnold Palmer Airport and 35 miles from the city of Pittsburgh. You can drive within five hours to Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, New York, and New Jersey or you can fly direct to South Carolina, Florida, etc. You will gain lifetime friends in sharing a special bond for life as you graduate with a degree which will propel you forward into a great career.