Shaka Smart

Shaka Smart is a respected American college basketball coach and former player known for leading Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to the 2011 Final Four, the school’s first and only appearance in the NCAA tournament. He was hired as the head coach at Marquette University in 2020. He became the second youngest coach to win 100 games in January 2013.

Smart played college basketball at Kenyon College and began his coaching career in 1999 as an assistant at California University of Pennsylvania. He later served as an assistant coach at several universities, including Clemson University and the University of Florida. After a successful stint as an assistant coach, Smart was hired as the head coach of VCU in 2009. He led the Rams to a 27-10 record in his first season and a CBI Championship. In his second season, the Rams earned an at-large bid to the 2011 NCAA tournament, where they made an improbable run to the Final Four. Smart signed an 8-year contract extension with VCU following the team’s loss to Butler in the semi-finals. Smart left VCU in 2015 to become the head coach at the University of Texas. He led the Longhorns to a 20-13 record in his first season and received a contract extension that would keep him at Texas through the 2022-23 season. In the 2017 recruiting class, he received a commitment from Mohamed Bamba, the second-ranked overall player. Smart led the Longhorns to the National Invitation Tournament championship in the 2018-19 season, the school’s first since 1978.

Known for his uncanny ability to boost team camaraderie, Smart is a well-liked coach who excels at producing a cohesive and functional basketball team that can compete at the highest levels of the sport. He will continue to lend his knowledge to the college basketball scene over the coming years.