For the 10th time in its history, the VCU Rams men’s basketball program introduced a new coach.
Shaka Smart, 32, has been an assistant coach at four different Division 1 programs including Clemson and Florida in his career. Thursday, he became the head coach of VCU.
“I’m overjoyed to be here as a head coach. I have tremendous respect for coach Grant and what he has done here, and I am excited about working with all the returning players,” Smart said.
At 11 a.m. Thursday morning, VCU athletics director Norwood Teague officially introduced Smart in a press conference at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
For the third time since 2002, VCU has hired one of the top assistant coaches in the country, thanks to the Villa 7 program that was set up by VCU and Nike. The program matches athletic directors around the country with top assistants, and has been influential in VCU’s hiring process.
“Thankfully, because of Villa 7 … we literally had four candidates already in our pool before coach Grant decided to depart,” Teague said. “It is wonderful to have that advantage and to be proactive in a search like this.”
Smart inherits one of the country’s most successful mid-major programs in VCU. The Rams have won three consecutive conference titles. They have also made major postseason appearances in both the National Invitation Tournament and the NCAA tournament.
VCU has also become a gateway to major college basketball coaching jobs, as it spring boarded Jeff Capel to Oklahoma and then Grant to Alabama.
Florida coach Billy Donovan also spoke at the press conference via telephone. Donovan hired both Grant and Smart as assistants at Florida.
“I have so much respect for VCU the program . and three years ago when you hired Anthony Grant I told you that you had one of the best coaching crews in the country at any level, and I know I can say the same thing about Shaka,” Donovan said.
Despite the loss of Grant, VCU players are also excited and confident with the hiring of Smart as VCU’s head coach.
“I was excited, I used to see coach Smart at AAU games when we were in high school; he used to be around everywhere,” VCU guard Joey Rodriguez said. “I just know he will do a great job here.”
The overall mood from VCU officials is a confident one as Teague assured Ram fans that Smart was a superstar at one point during his speech.
Smart also received support from retiring university President Eugene P. Trani, who spoke at the press conference.
“(Smart) has a dramatic sense of integrity; he’ll do the right thing. He’s not going to cut corners and he has an enormous respect for people,” Trani said.
Smart will get to work right away with the VCU program. He will hit the recruiting trail and begin spring practice soon.
The 2009-2010 Rams, along with their new coach, will look to continue the success of the last three seasons.
“My expectations are more about the process than the results,” Smart said. “I think that if you get the process right, then the results take care of themselves.”
Timeline
Smart’s road to becoming men’s basketball coach at VCU.
1995-1999
Attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Started at point guard for three seasons and finished the school’s all-time leader in assists. Graduates magna cum laude with a degree in history.
1999-2001
Serves as an assistant coach at California University (Pa.)
2001
Graduates with a master’s degree in Social Science from California (Pa.)
2001-2003
Serves as the director of basketball operations at Dayton University
2003-2006
Serves as an assistant coach at Akron University
April 18, 2006
Anthony Grant hired as the head coach at VCU to replace Jeff Capel
2006-2008
Smart serves as an assistant at Clemson University
2008-2009
Serves as an assistant at the University of Florida
March 26, 2009
Anthony Grant resigns from VCU after three seasons to become the Head coach at the University of Alabama
March 31, 2009
Sources close to the situation report that Shaka Smart will become the next VCU coach
April 2, 2009
Shaka Smart is officially introduced as Head Coach in a press conference held at the Stuart C. Siegel Center