Shaka Smart - Men's Basketball Coach - University of Texas Athletics

Shaka Smart

Title:
Head Coach

6th season at Texas • 12th season as a collegiate head coach

Shaka Smart enters his sixth season as the head basketball coach at The University of Texas in 2020-21. The leader of a Virginia Commonwealth University program that advanced to the 2011 Final Four and posted at least 26 wins in each of his six seasons at the school, Smart became the 24th head basketball coach at Texas on April 3, 2015.

In 11 seasons overall as a collegiate head coach, the 43-year-old Smart has compiled a 253-134 (.654) record. Seven of his first 10 teams advanced to NCAA Tournament play, prior to the 2019-20 season being cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Smart’s direction, the mission of the Texas Basketball program is clear and simple - to create and sustain championship-level success. Smart and his staff want to develop each student-athlete within the program into the best possible version of himself. The three core values of the Texas Basketball program are Relationships, Growth and Victory.

AT TEXAS

In year one at Texas (2015-16), Smart led the Longhorns to a 20-13 overall record (11-7, tie for fourth in Big 12 Conference). UT advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed before falling to Northern Iowa (75-72) on a half-court shot at the buzzer. Despite the midseason loss of senior center Cameron Ridley (fractured left foot on Dec. 27), who led the team in rebounding (10.0 rpg) and blocks (3.4 bpg) and ranked second in scoring (12.7 ppg) at the time of his injury, the Longhorns set a school single-season record with four regular-season wins against AP Top 10 opponents (No. 3 North Carolina, at No. 6 West Virginia, No. 10 West Virginia and No. 3 Oklahoma).

UT went 4-1 at home against AP Top 20 opponents in 2015-16, and the Longhorns were 6-4 overall against AP Top 20 teams. Senior center Prince Ibeh claimed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Isaiah Taylor was named All-Big 12 First Team. Eric Davis Jr. and Kerwin Roach II each claimed a spot on the six-person Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. All five scholarship seniors on the roster participated in Spring 2016 Commencement exercises.

In their first full recruiting cycle in Austin, Smart and the Texas coaching staff pulled in a four-man freshman group that ranked as the No. 5 recruiting class in the nation by Scout. All four freshmen signees were ranked among the Top 100 players nationally by Scout (Jarrett Allen, No. 15; James Banks, No. 49; Andrew Jones, No. 19; Jacob Young, No. 87).

The class was highlighted by Allen and Jones, who both competed in the 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game. The duo became the 17th and 18th players in UT history to participate in the McDonald’s All-American Game, and it marked just the fourth time in program history that the Longhorns had at least two McDonald’s All-Americans in the same year. Allen also was the top-ranked center in the country by ESPN, marking the first time in UT program history that the Longhorns signed the No. 1 center in ESPN’s recruiting rankings.

During the summer of 2016, Smart served as the head coach for the USA Under 18 National Team, which competed in July at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Valdivia, Chile. Smart guided the team, which included Texas freshmen Jarrett Allen and James Banks, to a 5-0 mark and a gold medal. The Americans recorded a +30.4 average margin of victory (93.4-63.0) and led the tournament in scoring (93.4 ppg), field goal percentage (.461), assists (25.0 apg), steals (13.4 spg) and blocked shots (6.8 bpg).

The 2016-17 season was highlighted by the staff’s development of freshman Jarrett Allen, who was selected as the No. 22 pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2017 NBA Draft. Allen earned All-Big 12 Conference Third Team and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team accolades. He also claimed a spot on the 10-person USBWA All-District VII Team and the five-person NABC All-District 8 Second Team.

Allen led the team in rebounding (8.4 rpg), blocks (51) and minutes (32.1 mpg) and ranked second on the team in scoring (13.4 ppg). He recorded 12 double-doubles on the season, tied for the third-highest total by a UT freshman in school history. Allen also ranked fourth on the UT freshman chart in total rebounds (278) and fourth in rebounding average (8.4 rpg). He made dramatic improvement during the second half of the year, averaging a team-best 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in Big 12 Conference play while registering eight double-doubles.

During their second recruiting cycle, Smart and the UT staff signed a five-man freshman class that ranked as the No. 5 recruiting class in the country by Rivals. All five freshmen signees were ranked among the Top 80 players nationally by one of the three major recruiting services (Mohamed Bamba, No. 2 Rivals; Matt Coleman III, No. 29 ESPN; Jase Febres, No. 47 Scout; Jericho Sims, No. 51 Scout; Royce Hamm Jr., No. 80 ESPN).

The class was highlighted by Bamba and Coleman, who both competed in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic. Bamba became the fourth signee in UT history to rank as one of the nation’s top two recruits, joining Avery Bradley (No. 1 by ESPN in 2009), Kevin Durant (No. 2 by Rivals in 2006) and Myles Turner (No. 2 by ESPN in 2014). Bamba also became the 19th player in program history to compete in the McDonald’s All-American Game and played in the Nike Hoop Summit.

In the 2017-18 season, the Longhorns registered a 19-15 overall record. Despite battling several key injuries and illnesses and playing a seven-man rotation that featured four freshmen during the majority of February and March, UT advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed.

Texas posted five wins against AP Top 25 opponents and recorded four consecutive home victories against AP Top 20 opponents to end the regular season (No. 16 TCU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 20 West Virginia). Of UT’s 34 games on the year, a total of 20 came against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman forward Mohamed Bamba earned honorable mention All-America honors by The Associated Press and claimed a spot on the John R. Wooden Award National Ballot. One of 10 finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, he was named to the five-person NABC All-District 8 First Team and the 12-person USBWA All-District VII Team.

A total of four Longhorns earned spots on the 2017-18 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Award teams. Bamba claimed a place on the All-Big 12 Second Team, the five-person Big 12 All-Defensive Team and the five-person Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. Freshman point guard Matt Coleman III, junior forward Dylan Osetkowski and junior guard Kerwin Roach II each earned recognition on the eight-person All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team.

Bamba led the Big 12 Conference in double-doubles (15), rebounding (10.5 rpg) and blocked shots (111, 3.70 bpg). He ranked second nationally in blocks per game and 12th in rebounds per game. Bamba set the UT overall season record for blocks (111, previous was 92 by Chris Owens in 2000-01).

Bamba became the eighth lottery pick in the NBA Draft in UT program history, as he was selected No. 6 overall by the Orlando Magic. He was UT’s highest draft selection since Tristan Thompson went at No. 4 in 2011 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bamba also was UT’s first lottery pick since Myles Turner in 2015 (No. 11 pick by the Indiana Pacers).

In the 2018 recruiting cycle, UT’s five-man freshman class ranked as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country by ESPN and 247Sports. Four signees were ranked among the Top 90 players nationally by one of the major recruiting services (Courtney Ramey, No. 34 247Sports; Gerald Liddell, No. 41 247Sports; Kamaka Hepa, No. 47 Rivals; Jaxson Hayes, No. 89 ESPN).

During the 2018-19 season, Texas posted a 21-16 mark and won the NIT Championship. Despite playing without Jaxson Hayes in their NIT run (left knee injury), the Longhorns ran off three consecutive home wins to open the tourney against South Dakota State, Xavier and Colorado before heading to Madison Square Garden and defeating TCU and Lipscomb in the semifinals and championship game, respectively.

A trio of UT players claimed mention on the 2018-19 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Award teams. Hayes was named the league’s Freshman of the Year, becoming the sixth UT player to earn the accolade and first since Myles Turner in 2014-15. Hayes also garnered spots on the All-Big 12 Second Team, the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team and the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. In addition, Matt Coleman III and Kerwin Roach II earned places on the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team.

Hayes was selected as the No. 8 pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Draft prior to his draft rights being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He became the ninth lottery pick in the NBA Draft in UT program history.

His selection marked the first time Texas had a Top-10 pick in back-to-back drafts since the Longhorns boasted three-straight years with a Top-10 selection from 2006-08 (LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin). UT was one of just three schools (joined by Duke and Kentucky) to have a lottery pick in 2018 and 2019.

It marked the third-straight year and fourth time in the last five seasons that a Longhorn had been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Texas was one of just four schools (joined by Duke, Kentucky and Michigan) to have a NBA first-round pick in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

During the 2019 recruiting cycle, UT’s three-man freshman class ranked as the No. 17 recruiting class in the nation by 247Sports Composite. All three signees were ranked among the Top 75 players nationally by one of the major recruiting services (Will Baker, No. 28 Rivals; Kai Jones, No. 49 247Sports; Donovan Williams, No. 61 Rivals).

Despite a rash of injuries during the final third of the year that sidelined as many as five rotation players for extended action, the Longhorns registered a 19-12 record and tied for third place in the Big 12 Conference (9-9 mark) during the 2019-20 season. UT was the No. 4 seed in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, but the league’s postseason tourney and all postseason college basketball was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smart and his staff rallied the team to a five-game win streak in Big 12 Conference play near the end of the regular season. This marked the first time UT had won five-consecutive league games since the Longhorns won seven-straight Big 12 games in 2013-14. Three of the victories came in true road games and four of the wins were by double-digit margins, including a 67-57 victory vs. No. 20/19 West Virginia and a 68-58 win at No. 22/21 Texas Tech.

Four Texas players earned spots on the 2019-20 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Award teams. Matt Coleman III earned third-team honors, while Andrew Jones, Courtney Ramey and Jericho Sims each garnered honorable mention accolades.

During the 2020 recruiting cycle, Smart and his staff had just one available scholarship but certainly made the most of it. The staff inked consensus Top 10 national recruit Greg Brown. Brown claimed a spot in the McDonald’s All-American game, becoming the 20th player in UT program history to receive the accolade.

AT VCU

While at VCU (2009-15), Smart posted an overall mark of 163-56 (.744) and guided the Rams to five NCAA Tournament appearances. The 163 wins tied him for the second-highest number of total victories during the first six years of a head coaching career in NCAA history. VCU and Duke were the only two programs in the country to record at least 26 wins in each of those six seasons during that time frame (2009-15).

VCU was one of only 11 schools in the nation to earn an NCAA Tournament bid in five straight years between 2011-15 (Cincinnati, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, San Diego State and Wisconsin). During Smart’s tenure, the Rams posted a 27-9 (.750) mark in postseason play and a 33-10 (.767) record in the month of March, including a 7-5 mark in five NCAA Tournament appearances. The Rams’ NCAA appearance in 2015 marked the first time in school history VCU had advanced to the Big Dance five straight years, and the first time in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia that a Division I basketball program had accomplished that feat.

Prior to Smart’s arrival, the Rams were ranked a total of nine weeks in The Associated Press poll in program history. During his six years, VCU made 22 appearances in The AP Top 25, including three straight rankings in the final AP poll in 2012-13 (No. 25), 2013-14 (No. 24) and 2014-15 (No. 25), a program first.

During Smart’s time at VCU, the Rams led the country in steals per game for three consecutive seasons (2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14) and ranked fourth nationally in 2014-15 (9.5 spg). In 2012-13, VCU’s 422 total steals shattered the Atlantic 10 single-season record of 352 set by Xavier in 1998-99. The 422 thefts marked the 18th-highest single-season total in NCAA Division I history. During the 2013-14 season, the Rams registered 391 steals, 21 more than any other squad.

VCU also ranked near the top of the national statistics in turnover margin and opponent turnover rate under Smart’s guidance. The Rams led the nation in turnover margin in 2011-12 (+6.47) and 2012-13 (+8.03) and ranked third nationally (+5.4) during the 2014-15 season. VCU’s +8.03 mark in 2012-13 was the sixth-best turnover margin by an NCAA Division I team since the 1992-93 season.

“Havoc” was a hit with the VCU fan base. The Rams concluded the 2014-15 season with a streak of 66 consecutive sellouts at the Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. That is the fifth-longest active streak in the nation, trailing only Duke, Kansas, Michigan State and Gonzaga.

In the classroom, all 15 seniors in the six seasons under Smart graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree. Three of the 15 went on to earn a master’s degree. All three seniors on the 2014-15 VCU roster (Treveon Graham, Jarred Guest and Briante Weber) earned their bachelor’s degrees in May 2015.

Weber made Atlantic 10 Conference history when he was named the A10 Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season in 2014-15. Despite suffering a season-ending injury in late January, he finished third all-time in NCAA history with 374 career steals and led the nation with 121 steals during the 2013-14 season (13th-best total in NCAA Division I history). Graham, a two-time All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection, completed his career ranked second on the VCU all-time scoring list with 1,882 points and fifth in school history with 803 career rebounds.

Smart led VCU to a 26-10 overall record in 2014-15, including a 12-6 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference and a No. 25 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. The Rams captured the 2015 Atlantic 10 Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 before falling to Ohio State (75-72) in overtime. This marked the program’s first A10 title and ninth overall conference title for VCU. The Rams became the first team since Xavier in 2006 to win four games in four days at the A10 Tournament. VCU finished the year at No. 15 in the NCAA RPI with the nation’s toughest non-conference schedule and the eighth-toughest overall schedule. The Rams posted 14 wins against the NCAA RPI Top 100, with nine of those victories coming away from home.

In 2013-14, the Rams registered a 26-9 mark, including a 12-4 record in the A10. VCU advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round and ranked No. 24 in the final AP poll. The Rams climbed as high as No. 10 in The AP poll on Nov. 19, 2013, the highest AP ranking in school history (previous best was No. 11 on March 11, 1985).

Smart helped VCU make the transition from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) to the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2012-13, and the Rams registered a 27-9 mark, including a 12-4 record in the A10. VCU advanced to the NCAA Tournament Third Round before falling to eventual NCAA finalist Michigan. The Rams were ranked No. 25 in the final AP poll, the school’s first appearance in the final poll since the 1984-85 season.

Despite the graduation of four of its five leading scorers from the 2011 Final Four team, Smart paced VCU to a 29-7 overall record in the 2011-12 season. The 29 wins set a school single-season record. The Rams posted a 15-3 mark in league play and won the CAA Tournament championship in their final year in the conference. VCU advanced to the NCAA Tournament Third Round, defeating Wichita State in the Round of 64 before falling to Indiana (63-61).

Smart’s tenure in VCU will be forever linked to the magical 2010-11 season, which saw the Rams advance to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in school history. VCU posted a 28-12 overall record, including a 12-6 mark in CAA play, and earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Forced to play in a First Four game in Dayton, the Rams registered five consecutive upsets in what many experts called the greatest run to the Final Four in tourney history. Along the way, VCU defeated “Power 5” schools USC (59-46), Georgetown (74-56), Purdue (94-76), Florida State (72-71 OT) and Kansas (71-61). The Rams’ victory against Kansas, the No. 1 seed in the Southwest Region, was voted the “Best Upset” of 2011 at ESPN’s annual ESPY Awards.

VCU, which fell to Butler in the NCAA semifinals, finished the season ranked No. 6 in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, the highest in school and CAA history. Smart earned the Fritz Pollard and Clarence Gaines National Coach of the Year Awards.

In his first year with the Rams, Smart paced VCU to a 27-9 overall record, including an 11-7 mark in the CAA, and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) championship. VCU’s run to the CBI title included wins against George Washington (79-73), College of Charleston (93-86) and Boston University (88-75) before a two-game sweep of Saint Louis (68-56 and 71-65 wins) in the championship series. That team was led by Larry Sanders, who was selected as the No. 15 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, marking the highest NBA draft pick in VCU program history.

GETTING STARTED

Prior to his time at VCU, Smart worked as an assistant under notable coaches Billy Donovan (Florida), Oliver Purnell (Clemson and Dayton) and Keith Dambrot (Akron). During his one year with Donovan at Florida, he helped lead the Gators to a 25-11 mark and a trip to the Postseason NIT quarterfinals in 2008-09. The 25 victories marked the fifth-highest number of wins in a single season in program history.

He served as an assistant coach under Purnell at Clemson for two seasons (2006-08). In that span, the Tigers posted a total of 49 wins and made back-to-back postseason appearances, including a NCAA Tournament berth in 2008.

Smart worked as an assistant at Akron for three years (2003-06). In his final season on the staff, he helped the Zips to a 23-10 record, marking the school’s highest victory total since it became a Division I program in 1980-81.

He also worked for Purnell at Dayton as director of basketball operations for two seasons (2001-03). During that time, the Flyers registered a 45-17 mark and won the 2003 Atlantic 10 Championship. The 2002-03 squad posted a 24-6 record and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Smart began his coaching career as an assistant at California University (Pa.) from 1999-2001. During his two seasons, the school recorded a 40-16 mark. While there, he also earned his master’s degree in social science in 2001.

THE PERSONAL SIDE

A four-year starter and three-year team captain at Kenyon College (Gambier, Ohio), Smart graduated magna cum laude in 1999 with a degree in history. He still holds the school single-season (184 in 1998-99) and career (542) records for most assists.

In his senior season, he earned All-North Coast Conference (NCAC) honors and was tabbed the league’s Scholar Athlete of the Year. Smart was one of 20 students named to the 1999 USA Today All-USA Academic Team and earned a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship.

A native of Madison, Wis., Smart was born on April 8, 1977. He and his wife, Maya, have one daughter, Zora.

Smart gave the commencement address in May 2016 for The University of Texas department of history. He also delivered the main commencement address for his alma mater, Kenyon College, in May 2017.