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Shaka Smart

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Shaka Smart
Smart speaks with an official in a game in November, 2013
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamTexas
ConferenceBig 12
Record20–13 (.606)
Annual salary$2,800,000
Biographical details
Born (1977-04-08) April 8, 1977 (age 47)
Madison, Wisconsin
Playing career
1995–1999Kenyon
Position(s)Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1999–2001California (PA) (asst.)
2003–2006Akron (asst.)
2006–2008Clemson (asst.)
2008–2009Florida (asst.)
2009–2015VCU
2015–presentTexas
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2001–2003Dayton (basketball ops.)
Head coaching record
Overall183–69 (.726)
Tournaments(NCAA): 7–6
(CBI): 5–0
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
CBI championship (2010)
Regional Championship - Final Four (2011)
CAA Tournament championship (2012)
Atlantic 10 Tournament championship (2015)

Shaka Dingani Smart (born April 8, 1977) is an American men's college basketball coach and former player. He currently is the head coach at the University of Texas.

Playing career

In high school, Smart was a three-year starter for Oregon High School in Wisconsin. He was a second-team All-Badger Conference pick as a senior and by the end of his career was the all-time assists leader at Oregon for a career (458), season (201) and single game (20).[1]

Smart attended Kenyon College, where he is the school's career assists leader (542). As a senior, he was an All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection, named the NCAC Scholar Athlete of the Year, and among 20 students in the country selected for the USA Today All-USA Academic team.[2] On ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, he credited his personal relationship with then head coach Bill Brown as the reason for his decision to attend the school.

Coaching career

Assistant coach

Smart began his coaching career in 1999 as an assistant at California University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a Master's Degree. Afterwards, he was hired as Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Dayton. He was then an assistant at the University of Akron for three years, Clemson for two, and Florida for one.

VCU

VCU hired Smart to be the head coach in the spring of 2009 after the program's previous coach, Anthony Grant, left to become the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. Smart's hire made him the 10th-youngest head coach in Division I. In his first season, he led the Rams to a 27–10 season and a CBI Championship after VCU swept Saint Louis in the championship best-of-three series.[3]

Smart's second season began with forward Larry Sanders declaring for the 2010 NBA Draft after his junior season. Sanders' selection by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 15th pick made VCU the first school in the Commonwealth of Virginia to have a player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in consecutive years, as the Utah Jazz had selected guard Eric Maynor with the 20th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The Rams under Smart went 23–11 in the 2010–2011 season. Smart led the Rams to their second consecutive Colonial Athletic Association Championship Game, where they lost to Old Dominion.

Despite not securing the automatic bid, VCU earned an at-large bid to the Southwest region of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The Rams were one of the last four teams invited, and were placed in the "First Four" against USC for a spot in the main 64-team tournament bracket. The Rams' selection into the tournament was widely criticized. His coaching strategy, positive outlook, and patience helped VCU defeat USC in the First Four, and then upset the 6th-seeded Georgetown Hoyas and 3rd-seeded Purdue Boilermakers to advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. VCU won 72–71 against Florida State University in overtime to earn the school's first spot in the Elite Eight and subsequently upset the top-seeded University of Kansas 71–61 for its first Final Four appearance. But in the Final Four, the Rams lost to Butler 70-62.

On April 4, 2011, Smart agreed to an 8-year contract extension with VCU, increasing his base pay from $350,000 to $1.2 million per year, prior to any performance bonuses.[4][5]

On January 19, 2013, Shaka Smart became the second youngest active coach to win 100 games, in a 90-63 victory over Duquesne.[6]

Texas

On April 2, 2015, Smart accepted an offer to become the new men's head basketball coach at Texas.

Style of play

Smart's teams play an upbeat style of basketball known as "havoc." Smart described his "havoc" defensive philosophy during his introductory press conference as, "We are going to wreak havoc on our opponent's psyche and their plan of attack." On the court, the "havoc" defensive mindset is visible through the heavy use of the full court press and pressing after made baskets to disrupt opponents' timing of offensive sets. The Rams have consistently maintained one of the most efficient and disruptive defenses in the nation, ranking 1st nationally in both turnovers and steals forced per possession from 2011-2014. Offensively, Smart-coached teams play uptempo, push the ball after misses, and run a weave-heavy motion offense.

Personal life

Smart's given name was bestowed in honor of the famous Zulu warrior.[7] He graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon with a degree in History, researching and writing on issues related to race and the Great Migration his junior and senior years.[8] Smart received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship and earned a master's degree in social science at California University of Pennsylvania. He developed a love for quotations at Kenyon. Smart began writing down quotes into a digital document that is now over 110 pages long. He also likes nature documentaries featuring big cats.[9]

Smart has been married since May 20, 2006, to Maya Payne, a professional writer and an alumna of Harvard University and Northwestern University.[10][11][1] Their daughter, Zora Sanae Smart, was born on September 25, 2011.[12][1]

Smart's half-brother is J.M. Tyree, a writer and professor.[13]

Smart is a supporter of President Barack Obama, for whom he campaigned in Florida in 2008 and Virginia in 2012.[14]

Coaching tree

These former assistant coaches or players of Smart later became head coaches:

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
VCU Rams (Colonial Athletic Association) (2009–2012)
2009–10 VCU 27–9 11–7 T–5th CBI Champions
2010–11 VCU 28–12 12–6 4th NCAA Final Four
2011–12 VCU 29–7 15–3 2nd NCAA Round of 32
VCU Rams (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2012–2015)
2012–13 VCU 27–9 12–4 2nd NCAA Round of 32
2013–14 VCU 26–9 12–4 2nd NCAA Round of 64
2014–15 VCU 26–10 12–6 T–4th NCAA Round of 64
VCU: 163–56 (.744) 74–30 (.712)
Texas Longhorns (Big 12 Conference) (2015–2016)
2015–16 Texas 20–13 11–7 4th NCAA Round of 64
Texas: 20–13 (.606) 11–7 (.611)
Total: 183–69 (.726)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ a b c "NCAA men's basketball: Ex-Oregon athlete Shaka Smart guides VCU past Georgetown". Host.madison.com. March 18, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  2. ^ Shaka Smart. "VCU Athletics". VCU Athletics. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  3. ^ Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Saint Louis Billikens - Recap - March 31, 2010 - ESPN
  4. ^ DeCourcy, Mike. "Shaka Smart agrees to eight-year contract with VCU". Sporting News. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  5. ^ Shaka Smart has deal to remain at Virginia Commonwealth - ESPN
  6. ^ http://www.timesdispatch.com/sports/college/vcu/vcu-blowout-gives-smart-th-win/article_b5ad542a-62a5-11e2-85a7-0019bb30f31a.html VCU blowout gives Smart 100th win
  7. ^ Branch, John (March 26, 2011). "Coach Shaka Smart Has Become V.C.U.'s Brightest Star". The New York Times.
  8. ^ http://bulletin.kenyon.edu/x1493.xml
  9. ^ http://www.marfdrat.net/2011/03/29/shaka-smart-as-only-a-brother-could-know-him/#.T2dHNHn63ch
  10. ^ Illinois Fighting Illini targeting VCU Rams coach Shaka Smart, according to source - ESPN Chicago
  11. ^ "Shaka Smart". University Athletic Assoc., Inc., Sun Sports & IMG College. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
  12. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Coach Smart Is Going To Be a Father" Retrieved 2011-04-12.
  13. ^ Tyree, J.M. (25 March 2011). "Shaka Smart, VCU: What it's like being related to the hottest name in March Madness Slate Magazine". Slate. Retrieved 27 March 27, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ Wise, Scott (6 May 2012). "Shaka Smart: "I support President Obama"". WTVR. Retrieved 6 May 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |newspaper= (help)
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