Menlo School has elevated longtime defensive coordinator Todd Smith to head football coach.Smith has been a mainstay for the Knights since he took on the role of defensive coordinator in 2013 under Mark Newton.
He has coached players from middle school to college. In the last eight seasons, he has helped his teams to four section title appearances - including 2016 and 2017 in the CCS for Menlo -  and in the NCS.
“I am so excited for Todd and look forward to him leading a football program that the Menlo community will continue to be proud of,” Menlo Director of Athletics Earl Koberlein said. “His enthusiasm, leadership, ability to build relationships with his athletes, football acumen, motivational style and passion for football and Menlo are the exciting traits that Todd brings to his new well-deserved role.”
Smith takes over for Josh Bowie, who was an offensive coordinator at Woodside High before he  became Menlo’s head coach in 2018.  
“Josh is a first-class individual,” Koberlein said. “He cares so much for his athletes, and we appreciated his ability to mentor the young men in his care and the valuable life lessons that he taught, that we all strive to teach high school students.  We wish Josh the best in his future endeavors.”

Smith was defensive coordinator for the 2016 Menlo team which finished as the No. 2-ranked scoring defense in the section, and the 2017 team which finished No. 4. His work is not limited to the high school; he also works in unison with the middle school to develop teaching plans consistent with the Knights priority of fostering the whole student-athlete. 

“Throughout my time here, Menlo football is and has been a values-based program. This means that character traits, such as empathy, humility, courage, resilience, and fortitude are at the forefront of our teachings, shaping its culture. This program is about building stronger and more thoughtful young men when adversity surfaces.”

Before coming to Menlo, Smith was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Casa Grande High, which advanced to the North Coast Section finals in 2010 and 2011. He was defensive backs coach at Blinn College, Texas, which won two national junior college titles during his time coaching the secondary, ranked No. 1 nationwide in overall pass defense. At Sierra College, he was defensive backs coach during a 39-game win streak, which including five consecutive bowl wins.  After graduating from Live Oak, Smith was an all-league defensive back for Gavilan College where he later returned to coach as defensive coordinator for the top defense in the nation. A graduate of San Jose State, he holds a bachelors in business management and a masters in kinesiology. Smith also is an assistant coach for the varsity boys’ soccer and lacrosse teams, and teaches in the middle school.