STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State University has agreed to a contract extension with head baseball coach Fuller Smith, the Texans announced on Tuesday.
 
"Fuller Smith is a model for how every head coach should be," Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz said. "He is a proven winner, he consistently elevates his program and players to reach new heights, and he is always a consummate professional. Texan Baseball has posted historic seasons now twice in his first three years at the helm, and more are on the way, as I am proud to announce that Coach Smith will be in Stephenville for many years to come."
 
Smith's extension is four years long, tying him to Tarleton State through the 2031 season.
 
"I want to thank Dr. James Hurley and Steve Uryasz for their continued investment and support for Tarleton State Athletics and the baseball program," Smith said. "We have a great administration who continues to put these students and athletes above themselves. My family and staff love the Stephenville community and Tarleton State University. We are excited to call this place home for several more years to come as we continue to win championships on the field and build champions off of it. We will continue to push daily to make Tarleton State a premier destination for young men who want to achieve their dreams in all aspects of life, and most importantly, to be part of something much bigger than themselves."
 
In just three years as Tarleton State Baseball head coach, Smith has led the Texans to two conference tournament championships, a regular season conference championship and an NCAA Regionals appearance. He was also named the WAC Coach of the Year in 2026.
 
This past season, the Texans posted their third most wins in a single-season in program history, and their most wins since 1992, finishing 38-21 overall with a 12-6 conference record. The Texans won an outright WAC regular season title, then rolled through the WAC Tournament by a combined score of 35-14 in three games to win the automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA Tournament. To begin their run in the NCAA Austin Regional, the Texans beat UC Santa Barbara 11-5, their first NCAA postseason win since 2014 and their first NCAA Regional opening win in their fifth ever appearance. It was their first NCAA Regionals appearance in their D1 era, as they became the first team in the last nine years to win its NCAA Division I Tournament debut.
 
In Smith's first season in 2024, the Texans won the conference tournament title in Tarleton State's final year of reclassification, as his team became the first baseball program to win a conference tournament title by a reclassifying D1 institution. The Texans won the WAC Tournament as a 5-seed, becoming the first to win the WAC Tournament in a team's inaugural appearance since 2013.
 
Smith owns a 94-82 (.534) overall record through three seasons. He has already led the Texans to two 30-plus win seasons in just three years at the helm, the third coach in Tarleton State's modern era with multiple 30-plus win seasons, and the tied-fastest with multiple such campaign, along with Tarleton State Athletics Hall of Fame coach Jack Allen.