Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Head coach |
Team | Marquette |
Conference | Big East |
Record | 91–33 (.734) |
Biographical details | |
Born | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | April 8, 1977
Playing career | |
1995–1999 | Kenyon |
Position(s) | Point guard |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1999–2001 | California (PA) (assistant) |
2003–2006 | Akron (assistant) |
2006–2008 | Clemson (assistant) |
2008–2009 | Florida (assistant) |
2009–2015 | VCU |
2015–2021 | Texas |
2021–present | Marquette |
Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
2001–2003 | Dayton (basketball ops.) |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 362–175 (.674) |
Tournaments | 10–11 (NCAA Division I) 5–0 (NIT) 5–0 (CBI) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four (2011) NIT (2019) CBI (2010) CAA tournament (2012) Atlantic 10 tournament (2015) Big 12 tournament (2021) Big East regular season (2023) Big East tournament (2023) | |
Awards | |
AP Coach of the Year (2023) NABC Coach of the Year (2023) Henry Iba Award (2023) Big East Coach of the Year (2023) | |
Shaka Dingani Smart (born April 8, 1977) is an American men's college basketball coach and former college basketball player. He is the current head men's basketball coach at Marquette University. He married his wife Maya Payne Smart in 2006 and had his daughter Zora in 2011.
Smart rose to prominence in 2011 after leading Virginia Commonwealth University to its first and only Final Four appearance in school history in the 2011 NCAA tournament.
Smart was born April 8, 1977, in Madison, Wisconsin to Winston Smart and Monica King. Smart's father was not supportive of Smart and left the family in 1994. [1] He grew up in Fitchburg and attended Oregon High School in Oregon, Wisconsin. [2] [3] [4] Smart, who is biracial, was one of "10 or so" students of color at Oregon High and experienced racism while attending the school. This led Smart to lead a student group which held multicultural events and seminars on homophobia and racism. He has said these experiences helped him develop his competitive drive. [1]
While in high school, Smart played for the Oregon Panthers basketball team. He was a three-year starter as a point guard for the Panthers and set school records for assists in a game (20), season (291), and career (458). His senior season he was named to the All-Badger Conference second team. [4] [5]
After high school, Smart attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history, focusing on issues of race and the Great Migration. Smart was a four-year starter for the Kenyon Lords basketball team, and set school records for assists in a season (184) and career (542). [2] [3] [4] As a senior, Smart was named to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) team and NCAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. Smart was also named to the 1999 USA Today All-USA Academic Team. [3] [6]
After graduating from Kenyon, Smart received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship and earned a master's degree in social science from California University of Pennsylvania. [7]
Smart's coaching career began in 1999 as an assistant coach at California University of Pennsylvania under Bill Brown, his former coach at Kenyon. [6] He followed that with a position as the director of basketball operations at University of Dayton and assistant coaching positions at University of Akron, Clemson University, and the University of Florida. [7] [8]
In 2009, Smart was hired as the head coach of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) following Anthony Grant's departure to become the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. [9] [10] At the time of his hiring, he was one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA Division I basketball. [6] In his first season, he led the Rams to a 27–10 record and a CBI Championship after VCU swept Saint Louis in the championship best-of-three series. [11]
Smart's second season began with star forward Larry Sanders declaring for the 2010 NBA draft. [5] Without Sanders, the Rams went 23–11 and played in their second consecutive Colonial Athletic Association championship game, losing to Old Dominion. [12]
VCU was given an at-large bid to the 2011 NCAA tournament. The decision was met with controversy given the Rams 3–5 record that February. They played in the First Four against University of Southern California (USC) for a spot in the main 64-team tournament bracket. VCU defeated USC and upset Georgetown University and Purdue University to advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. [1] [7] VCU beat Florida State University 72–71 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. [13] The Rams lost to Butler 70–62 in the semifinal game. [2] Smart signed an eight-year, $1.2 million per year contract extension with VCU following the school's loss to Butler. [14]
Smart became the second-youngest coach to win 100 games, with a 90–63 victory over Duquesne University in January 2013. [15]
In 2015, Smart became the head coach of the University of Texas men's basketball team. In his first season at Texas, he led the Longhorns to a 20–13 record and received the sixth seed in the NCAA tournament, which the Houston Chronicle described as having "surpassed all realistic expectations." [2] [16] That offseason, Smart received a contract extension which would keep him at Texas through the 2022–23 season. [17]
In May 2017, Smart received a commitment from Mohamed Bamba, the second-ranked overall player in the 2017 recruiting class, to play at Texas. [18] He also received commitments from Gerald Liddell, Brock Cunningham, Jaxson Hayes, and Kamaka Hepa in what was the eighth-ranked recruiting class in the country. [19] Smart led the 2017–18 Longhorns to a 19–15 record. The team lost in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament to the University of Nevada in overtime. [20]
In the 2018–19 season, Smart led Texas to a 21–16 record and a National Invitation Tournament championship, the school's first since 1978. [21]
Smart ended a three-season absence from the NCAA tournament in 2021 when he led the Longhorns to a 19–8 record and a Big 12 conference championship. [22] The Longhorns were given the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and were defeated by Abilene Christian University in the first round, after which San Antonio Express-News reporter Nick Moyle questioned Smart's job security. At the time, Smart had two years left on his coaching contract and could be bought out for $7.1 million. [23] Smart left Texas in March 2021. [24]
Marquette University hired Smart to replace Steve Wojciechowski as the Golden Eagles' head coach in March 2021. Smart led the Golden Eagles to 19–13 record the following season, where they lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to the University of North Carolina. [25] In his second season in Milwaukee, Smart led the Golden Eagles to a Big East regular season crown and a tournament championship, despite being chosen in preseason polls to finish ninth in the conference. [26]
At the close of the 2022–23 season, Smart won the Henry Iba Award as the national coach of the year. [27]
At VCU, Smart's teams employed a high-pressure style of play known as "havoc". In this style, offense is based on attacking inside and the defense heavily utilizes full court pressure, double teams, and traps to force turnovers and disrupt opposing offenses. At Texas, Smart employed this style less frequently. [5] [6]
Smart has been described as a relationship builder and been noted for his ability to increase team camaraderie. [28]
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VCU Rams (Colonial Athletic Association)(2009–2012) | |||||||||
2009–10 | VCU | 27–9 | 11–7 | T–5th | CBI Champion | ||||
2010–11 | VCU | 28–12 | 12–6 | 4th | NCAA Division I Final Four | ||||
2011–12 | VCU | 29–7 | 15–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
VCU Rams (Atlantic 10 Conference)(2012–2015) | |||||||||
2012–13 | VCU | 27–9 | 12–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
2013–14 | VCU | 26–9 | 12–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2014–15 | VCU | 26–10 | 12–6 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
VCU: | 163–56 (.744) | 74–30 (.712) | |||||||
Texas Longhorns (Big 12 Conference)(2015–2021) | |||||||||
2015–16 | Texas | 20–13 | 11–7 | 4th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2016–17 | Texas | 11–22 | 4–14 | 10th | |||||
2017–18 | Texas | 19–15 | 8–10 | T–6th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2018–19 | Texas | 21–16 | 8–10 | 6th | NIT Champion | ||||
2019–20 | Texas | 19–12 | 9–9 | T–3rd | Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19 | ||||
2020–21 | Texas | 19–8 | 11–6 | 3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
Texas: | 109–86 (.559) | 51–56 (.477) | |||||||
Marquette Golden Eagles (Big East Conference)(2021–present) | |||||||||
2021–22 | Marquette | 19–13 | 11–8 | T–5th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2022–23 | Marquette | 29–7 | 17–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
2023–24 | Marquette | 27–10 | 14–6 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
2024–25 | Marquette | 17–3 | 8–1 | ||||||
Marquette: | 92–33 (.736) | 50–18 (.735) | |||||||
Total: | 362–175 (.674) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
Smart was named after the Zulu monarch Shaka kaSenzangakhona. Though often teased about his name growing up, Smart has said being named Shaka was the "best thing" his father did for him. [7] [29] Smart's middle name, Dingani, is a Ndebele word meaning "one who is searching". [6]
Smart is married to Maya Payne Smart, an author and professor at Marquette University. The couple have one child. [30] He has six siblings. [2] [8]
Smart campaigned for Barack Obama in Florida in 2008 and Virginia in 2012. [31]
Richard Barnes is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head coach at the University of Tennessee. He is also known for coaching at the University of Texas from 1998 to 2015, taking the team to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 16 of his 17 seasons—including 14 straight from 1999 to 2012—as well as a Final Four appearance in 2003. Barnes also previously coached at George Mason University, Providence College, and Clemson University. He has an overall record of 28–26 (.519) in the NCAA tournament.
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University of Richmond, Virginia, United States. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The most successful teams have been the men's tennis and basketball teams, which have had success in their conference and on the regional and national stages. The school's colors are black and gold. The athletic director is Ed McLaughlin. The official student supporter group is known as the Rowdy Rams.
The Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team represents Marquette University in NCAA Division I college basketball and competes in the Big East Conference. The team plays its home games at Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee.
The VCU Rams men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University. The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012–13 season after previously competing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). In 2017, VCU was ranked the 40th most valuable men's basketball program in the country by The Wall Street Journal. With a valuation of $56.9 million, VCU ranked second in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and second in the A-10 Conference. The team is coached by Ryan Odom.
The 2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University in the Colonial Athletic Association conference during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams, led by second year head coach Shaka Smart, played their home games at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. They finished the season 28–12, 12–6 in CAA play and lost in the championship game of the 2011 CAA men's basketball tournament to Old Dominion. They received an at-large bid in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament where they played in the new First Four round, defeating USC.They defeated Georgetown and Purdue in the second and third rounds, respectively, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. They defeated Florida State to advance to the Elite Eight where they defeated Kansas. They advanced to the school's first ever Final Four, being just the third 11 seed in Tournament history to advance to the Final Four, where they were defeated by Butler. The VCU Rams finished 6th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at the end of the season. This was the highest ranking in VCU's history and the highest ranking of any team from the CAA. The 2011 NCAA tournament run by VCU is regarded by some as one of the best Cinderella runs of all time. They are the first men's Division I basketball team that played in the First Four to make it to the Final Four; UCLA made a similar run ten years later. They also join the 2020–21 Bruins as the only teams in the tournament to win five games and not qualify for the national championship game.
The 2013–14 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was the 46th season of the University fielding a men's basketball program. Led by fifth-year head coach Shaka Smart, they played their home games at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. It was the second season for the Rams playing in the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 26–9, 12–4 in A-10 play to finish in second place. They advanced to the championship game of the A-10 tournament where they lost to Saint Joseph's. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to Stephen F. Austin.
Jamion Christian is an American basketball coach, who is head coach for Pallacanestro Trieste in the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). In the United States, he was most recently the head coach of the George Washington Colonials men's basketball team. He previously was the head coach at Siena and Mount St. Mary's.
Frank Williams Wade is an American college basketball coach who serves as the head basketball coach at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He previously coached at Chattanooga (2013–2015), VCU (2015–2017), and LSU (2017–2022).
The 2015–16 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by head coach Shaka Smart who was in his first year. The team played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, and were members of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 20–13, 11–7 in Big 12 play, to finish in fourth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament to Baylor. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the first round to Northern Iowa on a half-court buzzer-beater from Northern Iowas’s Paul Jesperson.
The 2015–16 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was the 48th season of the University fielding a men's basketball program. The program was led by Will Wade, who was leading the program for his first season after previously coaching Chattanooga. Wade replaced former head coach, Shaka Smart, who resigned from VCU for the vacancy at Texas.
The 2016–17 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams, led by second-year head coach Will Wade, played their home games at Stuart C. Siegel Center as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 26–9, 14–4 in A-10 play to finish in second place. In the A-10 tournament, they beat George Mason and Richmond before losing to Rhode Island in the championship game. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 10 seed in the West region where they lost in the first round to Saint Mary's.
The 2017–18 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams were led by Mike Rhoades in his first season as head coach at VCU. The Rams played their home games at Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The 2017–18 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by third-year head coach Shaka Smart and played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas as members of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 19–15, 8–10 in Big 12 play to finish in seventh place. They defeated Iowa State in the first round of the Big 12 tournament before losing to Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 10 seed in the South region where they lost to Nevada in the First Round 87–83 in OT.
The 2018–19 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Shaka Smart and played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas as members of the Big 12 Conference. The team won the 2019 National Invitational Tournament with Senior Forward Dylan Osetkowski being named MVP.
The 2019–20 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represent the University of Texas at Austin in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Shaka Smart and play their home games at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas as members of the Big 12 Conference.
Clifford Matthew Coleman III is an American professional basketball player for Hapoel Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns.
The 2020–21 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Shaka Smart and played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas as members of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 19–8, 11–6 in Big 12 play to finish in a tie for third place. As the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 tournament, they defeated Texas Tech in the first round and advanced to the tournament championship game due to COVID-19 issues at Kansas. There they defeated Oklahoma State to win the Big 12 Tournament championship. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed in the East region. They were upset in the First Round by Abilene Christian.
The 2020–21 Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team represented Marquette University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by seventh-year head coach Steve Wojciechowski, and played their home games at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a member of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 13–14, 8–11 in Big East play to finish in ninth place. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Georgetown.
The 2021–22 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by first-year head coach Chris Beard and played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas as members of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 22–12, 10–8 in Big 12 play to finish in fourth place. As the No. 4 seed in the Big 12 tournament, they were defeated in the Quarterfinals by TCU. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 6 seed in the East Region, where they defeated Virginia Tech in the first round before losing to Purdue in the second round.
The 2021–22 Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team represented Marquette University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team were led by first-year head coach Shaka Smart and played their home games at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a member of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 19–13, 11–8 in Big East play to finish a tie for fifth place. As the No. 5 seed, they lost in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament to Creighton. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 9 seed in the East Region, where they lost in the First Round to North Carolina.