Last season Rick Smith stepped down from the general manager role after his wife Tiffany was diagnosed with breast cancer. His official statement last year was this:
With him no longer acting as the general manager, Brian Gaine took on the role. Smith’s intentions was to return in some sort of role. What that role was going to be was fluid with Gaine now the acting general manager.
Smith: this is an extended leave of absence. Will take a complete year off. Plan is fluid on when I return.
— Drew Dougherty (@DoughertyDrew) January 1, 2018
Whatever his future plans were don’t matter at all anymore.