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ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Dan Smith has been named the new commissioner of the Golden Coast Conference, and will begin transitioning into the role this month. Smith, no stranger to the league, has spent more than 30 years in college athletic and replaces Mike Daniels, who served as the league's first commissioner.

"The GCC and our league institutions are very sad to see Mike leave. We are extremely grateful for his leadership as he helped us usher in this new conference from the ground up and establish it as one of the prominent leagues in water polo," said Smith. "He leaves the GCC in fantastic shape, guiding the league through growth and in this difficult last 18 months during the pandemic. When I was asked to follow him as commissioner, I was honored and I am excited for this new role. We hate to see Mike leave and wish him nothing but the best."

Daniels was named the league's first commissioner in 2013 when the league started competing in 2014 with women's water polo. In 2016 he helped add men's water polo to the conference line-up and saw the league represented by Pacific in the NCAA men's championship game in 2019.

"I've enjoyed my time with the GCC, the student-athletes, the coaches, the administrators and the GCC staff in Jim (Cullingham) and John (Shaffer)," said Daniels. "It is an exceptional conference and I look forward to watching Dan continue the success we have had. I appreciate the opportunity given to me to serve the past eight years."

Smith is no stranger to water polo and the GCC. He has served as The GCC Executive Committee President for women's water polo since the league began in 2014, playing a key role in starting the league as Senior Associate Athletics Director at Loyola Marymount. He worked at LMU for more than 23 years, and water polo was a big part of his role at LMU.

"It has been a privilege to work in the water polo community all of these years," said Smith, who also served as Executive Committee President for men's water polo with the Western Water Polo Association for 19 years, while also serving on the NCAA Men's Water Polo (2000-03, serving as co-chair in 2003) and Women's Water Polo (2004-08, serving as chair from 2005-08) Championship Committees. "I'm honored that the leadership of the GCC - both on the men's and women's side - has placed their trust in allowing me to continue to serve this league as it's commissioner."

Smith has been in college athletics since 1989, and spent more than 23 years at LMU. He retired from his role at LMU this past January. While at LMU, he supervised sports that won 23 conference championships and advanced to 27 NCAA tournaments. He was the sport supervisor of both men's and women's water polo from 1999 through 2020, seeing the teams combine to win 17 conference titles and 15 trips to the National Collegiate Water Polo Championships, including the 2004 women's water polo team that advanced to the NCAA title game.

He currently lives in Arizona with his wife and two children.

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