Football Finalizes Coaching Staff with Three More Hires
1/25/2024 7:29:00 PM | Football
The Lions have brought on Seitu Smith (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks), Chris Batti (Tight Ends) and Garrett McLaughlin (Defensive Line/Special Teams Coordinator)
NEW YORK — Columbia's football has rounded out its coaching staff with the hirings of Seitu Smith, Chris Batti and Garrett McLaughlin, Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football Jon Poppe has announced today. Smith is the Lions' new offensive signal caller and quarterbacks coach. Batti will lead the tight end group and McLaughlin will serve as defensive line coach and special teams coordinator.
"I couldn't be more excited to work with all of these coaches," Poppe said. "Seitu's experience both playing and coaching in the Ivy League is going to give him a lot of credibility in our locker room. He's an up-and-comer and deserving of the opportunity to serve as our offensive coordinator. Having worked with Chris at Harvard, his attention to detail in X's and O's and recruiting shined through and that will impact our student-athletes on a daily basis. Garrett's special teams units have been among the best in the country the past few years and he'll do a great job handling our first line of defense. Our Columbia community gets better with these three in Columbia Blue!"
Smith was a part of Yale's staff that won back-to-back Ivy League titles in 2022 and 2023. He originally joined the Elis as running backs coach in February of 2021 and was promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator in March of 2023. Under Smith's direction, Yale had two of the Ivy League's top-rushers, Joshua Pitsenberger and dual-threat quarterback Nolan Grooms. Grooms repeated as the Ivy League's Offensive Asa S. Bushnell Cup winner after picking up 588 rushing yards and a pair of scores on the ground. Pitsenberger was a second-team All-Ivy League selection after racking up 448 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, which was good for second in the league.
Smith previously served as an offensive quality control coach with the Cleveland Browns during the 2020 season and was a wide receiver and return specialist at Harvard, where he graduated in 2015. He finished fourth in school history with a 9.6 career yards per punt return average and fifth with an average of 19.9 yards per kick return. He caught 84 passes for 939 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 304 yards and two scores on the ground over the course of his career.
McLaughlin joins the Lions after three seasons with the University of New Hampshire, where he coached defensive ends and special teams. The Wildcats' special teams shined in 2023, leading the nation with five blocked punts and led the CAA in kickoff (24.17) and punt (18.37) return yardage. Dylan Laube earned All-CAA honors as a punt and kickoff returner, two defensive ends earned a spot on the second team, and a special teamer picked up a third-team nod.
Under McLaughlin's tutelage, Dylan Ruiz was named to three All-America teams after posting 14.5 sacks in 2022. Additionally, his special teams unit led the CAA and ranked No. 13 in FCS in kick return coverage and the Wildcats blocked three punts, good for No. 3 in the nation during the 2022 campaign. For his work with special teams, McLaughlin was named a 2022 'Special Teams Coach on the Rise' by Our Coaching Network.
Batti is coming off a two-year stint as a defensive quality control assistant at Northwestern. Batti has experience coaching various offensive position groups at Harvard (running backs), Fordham (wide receivers) and Eastern Illinois (quarterbacks) since joining the industry in 2008. Batti's wide receivers at Fordham helped the Rams lead the Patriot League in passing yards per game in 2018 and saw Austin Longi earn First Team All-Patriot League honors. Longi led the Patriot League in receptions/game (5.5) and was second in receiving yards/game (65.1).
During his time with the Crimson, Harvard's rushing attack produced four first-team All-Ivy League selections, won three consecutive Ivy League Championships (2013-15), and was consistently among the best among Ancient Eight.
Columbia also added a pair in administrative roles to round out the staff. Sarah Parady will serve as director of on-campus recruiting and social media and Joe Manion will be the director of player personnel. Parady has experience working with football programs at her alma mater, Marist, and has seen stops at Harvard and Navy. Manion is coming from Kent State and has previous stops at Harvard, Army West Point, Villanova, James Madison and Nebraska.
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
"I couldn't be more excited to work with all of these coaches," Poppe said. "Seitu's experience both playing and coaching in the Ivy League is going to give him a lot of credibility in our locker room. He's an up-and-comer and deserving of the opportunity to serve as our offensive coordinator. Having worked with Chris at Harvard, his attention to detail in X's and O's and recruiting shined through and that will impact our student-athletes on a daily basis. Garrett's special teams units have been among the best in the country the past few years and he'll do a great job handling our first line of defense. Our Columbia community gets better with these three in Columbia Blue!"
Smith was a part of Yale's staff that won back-to-back Ivy League titles in 2022 and 2023. He originally joined the Elis as running backs coach in February of 2021 and was promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator in March of 2023. Under Smith's direction, Yale had two of the Ivy League's top-rushers, Joshua Pitsenberger and dual-threat quarterback Nolan Grooms. Grooms repeated as the Ivy League's Offensive Asa S. Bushnell Cup winner after picking up 588 rushing yards and a pair of scores on the ground. Pitsenberger was a second-team All-Ivy League selection after racking up 448 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, which was good for second in the league.
Smith previously served as an offensive quality control coach with the Cleveland Browns during the 2020 season and was a wide receiver and return specialist at Harvard, where he graduated in 2015. He finished fourth in school history with a 9.6 career yards per punt return average and fifth with an average of 19.9 yards per kick return. He caught 84 passes for 939 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 304 yards and two scores on the ground over the course of his career.
McLaughlin joins the Lions after three seasons with the University of New Hampshire, where he coached defensive ends and special teams. The Wildcats' special teams shined in 2023, leading the nation with five blocked punts and led the CAA in kickoff (24.17) and punt (18.37) return yardage. Dylan Laube earned All-CAA honors as a punt and kickoff returner, two defensive ends earned a spot on the second team, and a special teamer picked up a third-team nod.
Under McLaughlin's tutelage, Dylan Ruiz was named to three All-America teams after posting 14.5 sacks in 2022. Additionally, his special teams unit led the CAA and ranked No. 13 in FCS in kick return coverage and the Wildcats blocked three punts, good for No. 3 in the nation during the 2022 campaign. For his work with special teams, McLaughlin was named a 2022 'Special Teams Coach on the Rise' by Our Coaching Network.
Batti is coming off a two-year stint as a defensive quality control assistant at Northwestern. Batti has experience coaching various offensive position groups at Harvard (running backs), Fordham (wide receivers) and Eastern Illinois (quarterbacks) since joining the industry in 2008. Batti's wide receivers at Fordham helped the Rams lead the Patriot League in passing yards per game in 2018 and saw Austin Longi earn First Team All-Patriot League honors. Longi led the Patriot League in receptions/game (5.5) and was second in receiving yards/game (65.1).
During his time with the Crimson, Harvard's rushing attack produced four first-team All-Ivy League selections, won three consecutive Ivy League Championships (2013-15), and was consistently among the best among Ancient Eight.
Columbia also added a pair in administrative roles to round out the staff. Sarah Parady will serve as director of on-campus recruiting and social media and Joe Manion will be the director of player personnel. Parady has experience working with football programs at her alma mater, Marist, and has seen stops at Harvard and Navy. Manion is coming from Kent State and has previous stops at Harvard, Army West Point, Villanova, James Madison and Nebraska.
For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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