VCU catches coach on the rise in Smart
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
With Florida aide Shaka Smart, VCU continued a trend of hiring young, rising assistant coaches to head the Rams’ basketball program.
He's Smart, young and considered a fast riser in the world of college basketball assistant coaches.
Soon, Shaka Smart will get the chance to prove the prediction of those who know and have worked with him -- that he will become a successful head coach.
Smart, 32, will be introduced as Virginia Commonwealth's basketball coach tomorrow at 11 a.m. on the floor of the Siegel Center. The press conference is open to the public.
Smart, an assistant at the University of Florida, agreed in principle after being offered the job by VCU Athletic Director Norwood Teague yesterday morning. Details of Smart's contract were not available because it has not been finalized, Teague said.
Accompanied by his wife, Maya, Smart flew from Florida to Richmond and spent yesterday meeting with VCU officials and touring the campus. He was not available for comment.
"We have landed a gem," said Teague, after picking the second straight Gators assistant to lead the Rams. "I can't tell you how excited I am. The VCU family will love Shaka Smart."
The Madison, Wis., native has been an assistant coach at Florida (one year), Clemson (two), Akron (three), Dayton (two) and California University in Pennsylvania (two). He succeeds Anthony Grant, who left the Rams after three highly successful seasons to become Alabama's coach.
"He's a star, I'm telling you," said Akron coach Keith Dambrot, who worked with Smart as an assistant at Akron and later as his boss. "He may not win the press conference hire because he's 32 years old, but I would bet my house this guy's going to be successful."
After interviewing Smart on Saturday, Teague was impressed by "his vision, his plan, his charisma, his reputation as a relentless recruiter and his experience at different schools."
Smart follows in the line of young, assistant coaches at VCU. The Rams made 27-year-old Jeff Capel the youngest Division I coach in 2002.
He's now at Oklahoma.
"I was a head coach at 25, so I'm a little bit biased about that," Dambrot said. "It's more about experience than it is about age, and this guy is very experienced. He's the guy who was telling a middle-aged man [at Akron], 'Hey, stay the course. Take four-year guys. Don't take any high-risk guys.' There's not many young people in America today who take that approach. He just has an understanding of what it takes to be successful."
Smart served under Clemson coach Oliver Purnell at Dayton and Clemson.
"He's just very accomplished at a young age," Purnell said. "I think VCU got one heck of a young coach. He's a young man that certainly will have a plan for the future of VCU basketball. I'm sure he's going to do a great job. I've always thought he'd be special in this business. I'm certainly not surprised that others recognize it as well."
Smart played at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. He was an all-conference selection as a senior and is the school's career assists leader (542).
He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history and did extensive research on race consciousness and social issues at Kenyon, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Smart was one of 20 student-athletes selected for the 1999 USA Today All-USA academic team and received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. He has a master's degree in social science.
"This guy is one of the most talented guys in the country, for a couple of different reasons," Dambrot said. "He just has superior intellect. He's a Harvard-admit who didn't go to Harvard. On top of that, he has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to work ethic. When you combine unbelievable intellect with work ethic, you're going to achieve greatness."
Smart's hiring met with cautious optimism from VCU's only high school recruit, point guard Ben Eblen.
Eblen said he quizzed Florida guard Walter Hodge about Smart. Hodge attended Eblen's school, Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla.
Eblen also talked to Rams guard Joey Rodriguez.
"I'm excited to see what he has to say when I meet him," Eblen said. "Hopefully, things will work out for the best.
"Joey's optimistic. It helped me out knowing that everybody is not freaking out over the situation. Hopefully, everybody will stick together and coach Smart will help build the program."
Contact Tim Pearrell at (804) 649-6965 or
.
MEET SHAKA SMART
Age: 32
Hometown: Madison, Wis.
Wife: Maya
Coaching experience: 1999-2001 - assistant, California Univ. (Pa.); 2001-03 - director of basketball operations, Dayton; 2003-06 - assistant, Akron; 2006-08 - assistant, Clemson; 2008-09, assistant, Florida
Playing career: Smart was a four-year starter and three-year captain at Kenyon College from 1995 to 1999. He still holds the school career assists record with 542.
Did you know? In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Smart said his first name came from Shaka Zulu, the chieftan of the Zulu Empire. "My dad doesn't really have African roots," he said. "My dad is from the West Indies, Trinidad, and It's a historical name, and I guess he wanted to give me a historical name."
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What? What the heck does his race has to do with anything. Also, this is Richmond if you think we want to mix politics with our sports or have discussions of ones ethnicity in a public sports forum you have not lived here long enough.
Stick to round ball and leave the race and politics.
Oh and by the way, I hope he isn’t a please everyone wimp that Obama appears to be and let’s all hope his assistants have dealt with tax issues appropriately:) (YOU went there).
And before anyone gets there panties in a bunch, I voted for the guy.
To you doubters—you will be won over in a quick minute. I am from Akron Ohio and live here in Richmond and my sources say that Coach Smart will be to VCU basketball, what Obama is to US politics. Young, well-educated, successful with everything he does (white mother from Kansas, black father from Carribean - smile, couldnt resist - but it is true)great team builder, and awesome leader. Role model, baller scholar, coached with the guy who developed the greatest basketball player in the NBA - LeBron. Get ready for great success and maybe a couple of books!!!
First, this is my final post on this subject.
Second, my initial point was to give Shaka Smith a chance as VCU has always chosen this type of individual and has seen success with its choices. Only when we have tried the traditional route have we been unsuccessful (Sonny, Mack McCarthy, and Mike Polio (the worst))
No time has not softened my opinion of JD. The man got results, won in the NCAA tournament, and recruited top notch athletes who were a good fit for his system and the VCU program.
I do not think I would have wanted to play for him or have a beer with him. However, the facts remain that was the Golden Era of VCU basketball like it or not. The results speak for themselves.
We owe most of our recent success to Jeff Capel and his wonderful recruiting job and to a lesser extent to A Grant who knew how to utilized the talent he was handed. A.Grant didnt rebuild through recruiting. J. Capel did that for us.
If as one has stated the JD Barnett wasnt a good coach just a good recruiter.
I say, I’ll take the good recruiter over the good coach who cant recruit any day. Those guys good coach cant recruit are either unemployed or assistant coaches.
It is the Shaka era now. Let’s all hope he can recruit like JD, coach like Dana Kirk, and is a great citizen like A.Grant, and Capel.
That would be impressive.
We seem to have let time better our memories of JD…not a likeable guy. He was a complete nut case. Successful on the court with great talent - sure. Even his players got to a point where they could find a way to deal with him, but not respect or like him. Remember the corner of the blackboard he broke hanging from the upper deck of the UAB coliseum; remember his half time speech to Randy Corker was to punch him in the stomach. And those were some of his good moments. Being head coach at Lousiana Tech prior to VCU would have been impressive if he was coaching the women’s team there.
Let’s not fog the memory of JD - I can’t believe he was brought back as a legend for the CAA Tournament last year.
JD’s entire success was built on one successful recruiting job - his staff landed Calvin Duncan; then Lamb and Schlegel decided to come.
Let’s give the new guy a chance.
I beg to differ VCU1982. You seem to have a short memory. The last three years may have been exciting due to the pressing style of play.
However, our offense under AGrant wasnt too impressive.
I think JD’s boys with Ro Lamb, and CD were actually the best BBall we played. They had an uptempo very organized offense and they advanced to the second round at least three times.
The full court defense pressure I agree was a site to see. However, without Michael Anderson roaming the mid court and either Shu or Jesse applying relentless pressure scurrying on the help side the defense pressure was not the same.
I will add one bit of clarity. JD had head coaching experience prior to taking the helm here at VCU.
We have to give JD his due he was not a very likable guy. But his teams were simply the best and they played at a higher level.
If you think the past three years were the best you probably think Maynor is the best Ram player ever as well.
Different era and different levels. The JD era was a brighter era and level for us.
However, I believe the Colonial is a good fit and the Rams are in good shape.
Does anyone know if the recruits are staying? If they stay, then Smart will be successful and if not then he will struggle. It’s really that simple. I’m from Charlotte NC, and I watched
Jamie Skeens play a lot. This guy is a beast and with Skeens and Sanders down low, it will be something that VCU has never seen before. Let’s just hope Eblen stays to sure up the point.
Stop the madness! Anyone who knows VCU BBall also knows that the best years at VCU were the JD barnett years and the Capel to Grant years. Anynone who knows VCU BBall also knows that while Barnett got us better ranked and seeded, the last three years are the best ball we have ever played - bar none. Anyone who knows VCU BBall also knows that Capel was a young and rising star, Grant was a not so young, but rising star. We all would love if Anthony had stayed. But, life goes on. This hire is great. I know nothing about him, but like the best coaches we have ever had, he is young, bright, and ready to deliver us a great program. VCU’s greatness will live on… and get better than ever (recall the dismay when Capel left?) Let’s embrace our next chapter and give this coach and the team the support they deserve. Go Rams.
No Wikipedia, just a good mind for VCU facts. BTW, I have been a fan since Gerald Henderson, Ed Sherod, Penny Elliot, Danny Kotak (sp), and Ren Watson graced to courts led by Dana Kirk.
First Jeff Lebow came with over one million dollar payout. Second, Lebow has not set the world on fire either with wins or recruits.
As to those who have referred to VCU as a stepping stone school it depends on your definition of stepping stone. As I stated, Pac Ten WSU, and Conference USA’s Memphis lost their coaches to schools with more prestine reputatations and deeper pockets.
A few years back Herb Sendeck (sp) left NC State of the ACC for ASU. Roy Williams left Kansas for UNC, Bill Self left the University of Illinois for Kansas, and so on.
My point is that all schools unless you are DUKE, UNC, UCLA, or Kentucky are subject to lose a coach.
I like our success rate with first timers (Dana Kirk, JD Barnett, J Capel, and A Grant) vs. coaches with experience (Mike Polio (ugh), Mack McCarthy, and Sonny).
We just have to understand and accept that VCU is a stepping stone for coaches. No good coach wants to stay here when bigger schools with deeper pockets come calling. Thats just a fact of life. The only coach that stayed around was Chuck Noe. That was after he was run out of several other schools in the 60’s and 70’s. Nobody wanted him but VCU.
Looks like someone was using wikipedia lol
Hire a head coach with experience. I don’t know if Lebo was really interested but that would have been a better pick than Smart. That was my point. Hire someone that fans can look at and see what he’s done. No! says many fans. According to one comment, hiring “this type of coach” has proven successful. Can’t really gauge that kind of track record due to the fact AG had the players. All he had to do was substitute tired players and maybe call an offensive or defensive play every now and then lol. I’ve been watching VCU basketball since I was a kid back when Rolando Lamb was sinking those sweet jumpers. Don’t take this program for granted, we’re enjoying it now, it could sink just as fast with this decision. Roll the dice!
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