Drae Smith, a Youngstown State graduate, joined the athletic department on a full-time basis as Assistant Director of Athletics Communications and Event Management in August 2019. He previously worked in the department as a graduate assistant in the Athletics Communications office.
Smith coordinates the media and social media publicity for the men's and women's golf programs and the baseball team. He has helped handle radio and television play-by-play duties for the YSU women's basketball program for the past 10 years. In addition, he worked as a sideline reporter and color analyst for both radio and television broadcasts of YSU football from 2015 to 2018.
Smith assumed the play-by-play duties for YSU football home games on ESPN+ in 2019. He also became the full-time radio play-by-play announcer for YSU women's basketball in 2019-20. Smith has served as a host for YSU's weekly coaches radio show "Penguin Playbook" for the past eight years. He also added the duties of event manager for YSU home volleyball matches in 2022.
Smith publicized the YSU women’s golf program’s fourth Horizon League title in 2021 as well as the program’s second appearance in the NCAA Regionals. On the individual level, Smith has helped publicize the accomplishments of 2021 Horizon League Women’s Golfer of the Year Katlyn Shutt, five Horizon League Freshman-of-the-Year Award recipients, a pair of Horizon League Pitcher-of-the-Year Award winners, Major League Baseball Draft selections and numerous all-conference honorees.
Most recently in 2024-25, Smith promoted the achievements of 2025 Horizon League Women’s Golfer of the Year Neeranuch Prajunpanich and 2025 Horizon League Baseball Player of the Year Kyle Fossum. Prajunpanich won the individual title at the 2025 Horizon League Women’s Golf Championship to qualify for the NCAA Columbus Regional. Fossum enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons at the plate in YSU history in 2025, breaking numerous school records while earning ABCA/Rawlings Third-Team All-America honors.
A native of East Palestine, Ohio, Smith is a veteran broadcaster who has experience in sports marketing. He spent two years as a show host and producer for Rookery Radio, YSU's official student internet radio station. He has served as a key part of the Penguins Radio Network for the past 10 years.
Smith earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and business administration from YSU graduating magna cum laude in May 2014. He was a member of the academic honor society Beta Gamma Sigma, and he received the Williamson College of Business Administration's Senior Leadership Award.
Smith graduated with his master's degree in professional communication from Youngstown State in May 2019. He earned Academic Achievement and Professional Excellence awards within YSU's Professional Communication MA program.
Smith previously gained marketing and sales experience working as Director of Operations and Customer Service at Golf Headquarters (GolfHQ.com) in nearby Boardman.
