By: Taylor Howsmon
The hire of Shaka Smart on March 31, excited a basketball program at VCU that needed excitement after the departure of Anthony Grant and star guard Eric Maynor.
"He is one of the best coaches in college basketball. VCU is lucky to have him.” said Clemson coach Oliver Purnell, who Smart worked under for two seasons.
Based recommendations such as this, there seems to be little argument that Shaka Smart was one of the top young coaching prospects in the country.
But since his hire, VCU fans have been trying to get to know the coach and where he will steer the program.
Smart was born in Madison, Wisconsin. A place that retiring VCU president Eugene Trani, the former vice president of academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin, says is a place that “teaches you respect for people and a since of integrity.”
As a senior in high school, Smart passed up an opportunity to attend Harvard and attended Kenyon College in Ohio to play basketball.
After four years at Kenyon, Smart graduated magna cum lade and left as the career leader in assists.
Since departing from his first job at California University of Pennsylvania in 2001, Smart has been an assistant at four major college basketball programs: Dayton, Akron, Clemson and Florida.
“Although his time with us was very very short, I enjoyed my time with him and respected how hard he works,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said at Smart‘s introductory press conference.
Smart was an assistant with Billy Donovan for one season at Florida. Donovan was also Anthony Grant’s boss before he came to VCU three years ago.
But now that Smart is in Richmond, the 2010 season becomes the focus.
Smart prepares the team for a run at a fourth straight CAA regular season championship.
He has already lost two players thought to be key contributors next season apart from Maynor. Joey Rodriguez transferred and recruit Ben Eblen asked for a release on his scholarship.
So Smart has hit the recruiting trail. The man who VCU athletic director Norwood Teague called a “great recruiter” looks to continue the legacy built by former coaches Jeff Capel and Anthony Grant at VCU.
The plan has worked so far. Smart signed Darius Theus, a guard from Portsmouth on April 19.
An overall feeling of excitement seems to be coming from VCU’s athletics department. But after the Rodriguez transfer, and the difficulties of recruiting so late in the game, many fans are left wondering how quickly Smart will be successful.
"I am happy that they think they have the right guy for the job. But I also want them to win. It will be a lot less exciting if we are just mediocre next season,” VCU student Michael Morgan said.
But Smart says wins and losses are not what it is all about right away.
“The biggest thing for me is that we set a standard for extreme work ethic, dedication to the program, unselfishness and always being competitive,” Smart said.
VCU kicked off spring workouts on April 14, and Smart said that they would look to the summer and fall months to begin building their identity.
Links:
http://vcuathletics.com/mbb/0809results/Shaka-Hiring-0402.php
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/site_elements/tags/tag/shaka+smart/
