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 has coordinated the media and social media publicity for the men's and women's golf programs and the baseball team since the start of the 2017-18 academic year. He has helped handle radio and television play-by-play duties for the YSU women's basketball program for the past 11 years. Smith has been behind the mic for more than 250 YSU women's basketball games since the 2015-16 season. 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+ alongside color analyst and YSU Athletics Hall of Fame member Chris Sammarone 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 nine 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, three Horizon League Pitcher-of-the-Year Award winners, Major League Baseball Draft selections and numerous all-conference honorees.
In 2022, YSU junior right-hander Matt Brosky collected Horizon League Pitcher of the Year honors to give the Penguins two HL Pitcher of the Year award winners in as many seasons. Brosky was named First-Team All-Horizon League in 2022 before being selected by the Texas Rangers in the eighth round of 2022 MLB Draft. Youngstown State senior left-hander Collin Floyd claimed Horizon League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2021 to become just the fourth player in school history and the first since 2008 to be named conference Pitcher of the Year.
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.
In 2025-26, Smith led the promotional effort for 2026 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Braden Gebhardt while Prajunpanich was voted as the 2026 Horizon League Women’s Golfer of the Year to claim the honor for the second straight season. Gebhardt was named the Horizon League’s Pitcher of the Week a league record six times during the 2026 season while earning First-Team All-Horizon League honors. The senior left-hander was also named to the ABCA/Rawlings East All-Region Second Team following the 2026 season.
Gebhardt was named to College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Baseball Team for the third consecutive season in 2026 to become just the second player in program history to earn the distinction three times. Prajunpanich earned First Team All-Horizon League honors for the third consecutive campaign in 2025-26 while also being named to the CSC Academic All-District® Women's At-Large Team for second straight season to become the first two-time honoree in program history.
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 11Â 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.
