Lynn Smith joined the Illinois track & field coaching staff in October, 2019. Smith will serve as an assistant coach working with the Illini multi-event and vertical jumps student-athletes. 

In 2008 Smith coached heptathlete Hyleas Fountain-Vaught to a Silver Medal at the Beijing Olympic Games. Smith is only one of two coaches in the history of USATF to coach an athlete to an Olympic Medal in the Heptathlon. Smith is the only coach in the history of USATF to coach an athlete to an Olympic Medal in the Heptathlon, and a World Indoor Medalist in the Pentathlon, after coaching Fountain-Vaught to a Bronze Medal in the Pentathlon at the 2011 World Indoor Championships.

Smith most recently served as the men's sprints & hurdles coach for Team USA at the 2019 Pan American Games, where he coached 10 top-three finishes and two gold medal winners. He was the head coach for Team USA at the 2018 Athletics World Cup. In 2016 he served as an assistant coach for the USA World Indoor Team. 

Smith spent six years as a head coach for Central State University, serving as the women's head coach from 2007-2009, and the men's and women's head coach from 2009-2012. In his time at Central State, he coached athletes to a total of 10 NAIA National Titles. 

Smith has two children, Aaron Marcellus and Alexis Camille Smith.