Rick Smith is an American football coach. He is currently the defensive secondary coach and assistant head coach for East Carolina University.

Smith is a graduate of Florida State University.

Smith coached at Georgia Tech as head coach of the junior varsity team in 1977, then joined the staff at East Tennessee State University for the 1978 season before becoming a high school head coach. Smith then returned to Georgia Tech as linebackers coach in 1982 and as secondary and punters coach in 1983-1985. In 1986 Smith was the defensive backs coach for the University of Alabama and he held the same position at Baylor University from 1987 through 1989. From 1990 through 1995 Smith was the defensive backs coach at the University of Kentucky and became defensive coordinator there in 1996 under head coach Bill Curry. From 1997 through 1998 Smith was the defensive coordinator for Tulane University, which went undefeated in 1998. Smith then became defensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati in 1999 and 2000. Smith returned to Kentucky as defensive backs coach in 2001. Smith then was the co-defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech University in 2002 and 2003.