SCOOP: NC State hires Shane Smith to be assistant director of player personnel

NC State’s rebuilding of its player personnel department after a pair of offseason departures continues. Its latest hire? Shane Smith to become an assistant director of player personnel, TheWolfpacker.com has learned. 

Smith, who spent the past four seasons at Utah, is the department’s third hire in the past two weeks. He joins Daniel Bernstein, who was promoted to director of player personnel, and fellow assistant director Donovan Lahmann. 

Before joining the Wolfpack, Smith served in three different roles with the Utes. He was hired as a player personnel analyst in 2022 before being promoted to senior player personnel analyst in 2023 and player personnel coordinator prior to this past season. 

In addition to his experience at Utah, Smith served as a player personnel assistant at Wake Forest during the 2021 campaign, which marked his first position within an FBS scouting department. 

Smith, who graduated from Endicott College in 2022, played wide receiver and defensive back at the Division III program before suffering a career-ending leg injury.

NC State has now filled all three of its vacant player personnel positions going into the 2026 season. The Wolfpack is expected to hire an additional assistant director in the near future to complete the staff. The program’s player personnel department also includes general manager Andy Vaughn and director of college personnel and scouting Tony Shields.