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United States Shaka Smart is an established American college basketball coach, known for transforming programs and achieving significant athletic milestones.
Marquette and collegiate licensing leader CLC, in collaboration with Men's Head Basketball Coach Shaka Smart, launched a merchandise collection inspired by his coaching philosophy.
Shaka Smart had conversations about making throwback jerseys with Nike's Jordan Brand, which holds an apparel contract with Marquette University.
Shaka Dingani Smart was born on April 8, 1977, in Madison, Wisconsin. He grew up in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and attended Oregon High School, where he excelled as a point guard, setting school records for assists. He continued his basketball career at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, graduating magna cum laude in 1999 with a degree in history. At Kenyon, Smart was a four-year starter and three-year captain, holding school records for single-season (184) and career (542) assists. He also earned All-North Coast Conference honors and was named the NCAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. After college, Smart pursued a master’s degree in social science from California University of Pennsylvania, laying the groundwork for his coaching career.
Smart’s coaching journey began as an assistant at California University (Pa.) from 1999 to 2001. He then held positions as director of basketball operations at the University of Dayton and assistant coach roles at Akron, Clemson, and Florida. In 2009, he became the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he achieved national prominence. In 2011, Smart led VCU on a historic run from the First Four to the NCAA Final Four, an unprecedented achievement for the program. His tenure at VCU saw the team reach five NCAA Tournament appearances and lead the country in steals per game for three consecutive seasons (2012-2014).
In 2015, Smart took over as the head coach for the University of Texas men’s basketball team, guiding them to a 20-13 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season. He recruited highly-rated players and led Texas to a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship in 2019. In 2021, Smart moved to Marquette University as head coach. In the 2022-23 season, he led Marquette to its first BIG EAST Conference regular season and tournament titles, achieved a program-record 29 wins, and earned national coach of the year honors, including the AP Coach of the Year and NABC Coach of the Year awards. He has continued this success with multiple NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2023-24, further solidifying his reputation as a successful college basketball coach.
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