Lynne Smith was named head coach of the Stonehill College women’s tennis program in February 2020. She led the Skyhawks to a Northeast-10 Conference Championship appearance and an NCAA Tournament bid in 2021.
Smith has continued to elevate the program, guiding Stonehill to strong NEC finishes and postseason appearances. She has expanded the program’s recruiting footprint nationally, bringing in student-athletes from Kentucky, Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, Maryland, Connecticut, California, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Internationally, she has successfully recruited talented players from Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico.
Smith is committed to fostering a well-rounded student-athlete experience that emphasizes competitive success, academic achievement, and personal development. In 2025, the women’s tennis team earned the highest team GPA among all Stonehill athletic programs. She is known for her individualized approach to coaching, building a close-knit team culture while prioritizing mental and physical well-being and preparing student-athletes for success beyond college tennis. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes fundamentals, competitiveness, and respect for the game, alongside accountability, character, and community engagement off the court.
Prior to Stonehill, Smith amassed 16 years of head coaching experience in the region, most notably at Ursuline Academy, where she compiled a 175–40 (.814) record, captured multiple Massachusetts South Sectional Championships, and made several deep postseason runs. She also led the varsity program at Xaverian Brothers High School and helped develop athletes at the junior varsity and middle school levels. Smith was twice named the Boston Globe Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year.
A United States Tennis Association (USTA) certified teaching professional, Smith has coached players of all ages and skill levels at the Brown Billone Tennis Club in Easton and previously at Wimbledon 109 Tennis Club in Walpole.
Smith was inducted into both the Barnstable High School Hall of Fame and the Ursuline Academy Hall of Fame. A graduate of Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, she was a member of the Eagles’ field hockey and women’s ice hockey teams. A lifelong competitor, she was part of a USTA 4.0 women’s team that won the 2010 USTA National Championship and has completed four marathons.
She resides in Walpole, Massachusetts. Her daughter competed at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, graduating in 2022.
