BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Rod Smith sat in the back corner in the bowels of Assembly Hall early Saturday evening, answering questions about his new role with the Indiana football team, dual-threat quarterbacks and Denard Robinson.

Smith wasn’t sure where he’d be a week ago. He didn’t know if he’d have a job this year after being fired along with the rest of Rich Rodriguez’s staff at Michigan. Yet like other assistants under Rodriguez, it didn’t take the quarterbacks coach long to find a job.

Rod Smith

New Indiana coach Kevin Wilson knew Smith through Rodriguez, and when a spot on his staff opened he reached out to Smith, who joined former Michigan offensive line coach Greg Frey on the Hoosiers staff.

But for a little while, he didn’t know what would happen.

“Oh yeah, that’s always a concern,” Smith said. “Any time you’re out of a job there are never any guarantees that you’re going to find a new situation. So to say you (weren’t) worried, obviously you are.

“But at the same time, I’m a man of faith.”

Faith brought him to a place where his quarterback at Michigan, Robinson, shined a year ago. It brought him to a place where he’d actually receive a promotion — he’s now co-offensive coordinator along with quarterbacks coach — and to a place he’s at least somewhat familiar with.

But even he’ll admit the part of the situation is weird.

“I’ve had a chance to work with (Smith) at a couple different places, and it’s an easy transition,” Frey said. “It’s going to be fun, going to be exciting.”

For the first time in a while, Smith is working with new people. His old boss, the guy who helped get him into college coaching, is out of the business. His other colleagues, Calvin Magee, Tony Dews and Tony Gibson, are at Pittsburgh.

“It is kind of a nervous feeling because it’s new, but being here for the last couple days and getting to know these guys, I can tell this staff is going to jell extremely well,” Smith said. “It’s a good bunch of guys so far. I know Kevin did his due diligence in putting this staff together, and I know he was calculating in making sure these guys meshed. That’s part of a head coach.

“So I’m excited, yeah. You miss the guys, sure. You had comfort so to speak with some of the staff guys but at the same time it’s a new day, a new era and moving forward and creating new relationships. I’m excited, man.”

Coming to Indiana, though, put a cap on what had been a hectic final three weeks in Ann Arbor, from the Gator Bowl to learning his fate to wondering whether or not he’d have another job or have to sit out.

And he said he’s not sure whether or not Rodriguez will coach this season.

“It’s been up and down, like a rollercoaster for the most part,” Smith said. “It’s always disappointing whenever you don’t get a chance to finish up what you did, but we understand the business. That was the low point.

“At the same time, I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to come here with a great group of guys, and I’ve known coach Wilson for a while.”

Barring a meeting in the Big Ten championship game, Michigan and Indiana won’t play for the remainder of Robinson’s career. So he won’t have to worry about coaching against a guy he groomed and mentored for two years.

He won’t have to face a guy he calls “special.” He does think, though, that new Michigan coach Brady Hoke will do a good job with Robinson.

“Coach Hoke will do a great job with those guys, I’m sure. He’s got a special one in that young man,” Smith said. “He’s got a special one in all those guys, him and Devin, all those guys. From when he came in last year, I don’t think anybody in Ann Arbor expected he’d take off like that.

“We did, because we knew he had the potential in him. It was fun to see him have success like that. Wish him nothing but the best.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein