Shaka Smart facts for kids
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Smart in 2021
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| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Marquette |
| Conference | Big East |
| Record | 91–33 (.734) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | April 8, 1977 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1995–1999 | Kenyon |
| Position(s) | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1999–2001 | California (PA) (assistant) |
| 2003–2006 | Akron (assistant) |
| 2006–2008 | Clemson (assistant) |
| 2008–2009 | Florida (assistant) |
| 2009–2015 | VCU |
| 2015–2021 | Texas |
| 2021–present | Marquette |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2001–2003 | Dayton (basketball ops.) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 362–175 (.674) |
| Tournaments | 10–11 (NCAA Division I) 5–0 (NIT) 5–0 (CBI) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four (2011) NIT (2019) CBI (2010) CAA tournament (2012) Atlantic 10 tournament (2015) Big 12 tournament (2021) Big East regular season (2023) Big East tournament (2023) |
|
| Awards | |
| AP Coach of the Year (2023) NABC Coach of the Year (2023) Henry Iba Award (2023) Big East Coach of the Year (2023) |
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Shaka Dingani Smart (born April 8, 1977) is a well-known American college basketball coach. He used to play college basketball himself. Today, he is the head coach for the men's basketball team at Marquette University. Shaka Smart is married to Maya Payne Smart, and they have a daughter named Zora.
Smart became famous in 2011 when he led Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. This was the first time in VCU's history they reached such a high level in the tournament!
Contents
Shaka Smart's Early Life and Education
Shaka Smart was born on April 8, 1977, in Madison, Wisconsin. He grew up in Fitchburg and went to Oregon High School. While in high school, Smart was one of the few students of color. He used these experiences to help him become a strong leader. He even started a student group that held events to teach about different cultures and important topics like fairness and respect. These experiences helped him develop a strong competitive spirit.
Playing Basketball in High School and College
Smart was a talented basketball player in high school. He played point guard for the Oregon Panthers. He set school records for assists in a game, a season, and his whole career. An assist is when a player passes the ball to a teammate who then scores.
After high school, Smart chose to go to Kenyon College in Ohio. He studied history and graduated with high honors. While at Kenyon, he continued to play basketball for the Kenyon Lords. He was a four-year starter and set new school records for assists in a season and his career. He was also recognized as a top student-athlete.
After college, Smart earned a master's degree in social science from California University of Pennsylvania.
Shaka Smart's Coaching Journey
Shaka Smart's coaching career began in 1999. He started as an assistant coach at California University of Pennsylvania. After that, he worked in basketball operations at the University of Dayton. He then held assistant coaching jobs at several other universities, including University of Akron, Clemson University, and the University of Florida.
Leading the VCU Rams
In 2009, Smart became the head coach for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He was one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA Division I basketball at the time. In his first year, he led the Rams to a great 27–10 record. They even won the CBI Championship!
The next season, VCU made it to the 2011 NCAA tournament. This was a big deal because they had to play in the "First Four" game just to get into the main tournament bracket. VCU won that game and then surprised everyone by beating higher-ranked teams like Georgetown University and Purdue University. They kept winning, even beating University of Kansas to reach the Final Four for the first time ever! They eventually lost in the semifinal game. After this amazing run, Smart signed a long contract with VCU.
Smart quickly became one of the youngest coaches to win 100 games in his career.
Coaching the Texas Longhorns
In 2015, Smart moved to become the head coach of the University of Texas men's basketball team. In his first year, he led the Longhorns to a 20–13 record. This was better than many people expected.
Smart was also very good at recruiting new players. He brought in some top-ranked young talents to play for Texas. In the 2018–19 season, he led Texas to win the National Invitation Tournament championship. This was the first time Texas had won that tournament since 1978.
In 2021, Smart led the Longhorns to win the Big 12 conference championship. This was a big achievement for the team. Smart left Texas in March 2021.
Moving to Marquette University
In March 2021, Marquette University hired Shaka Smart as their new head coach. In his second season at Marquette, Smart led the Golden Eagles to an amazing year. They won the Big East regular season title and then the Big East tournament championship! This was a huge surprise because many people thought they would finish much lower in the conference.
At the end of the 2022–23 season, Smart won the Henry Iba Award. This award recognizes him as the national coach of the year.
Shaka Smart's Coaching Style
When Smart coached at VCU, his teams were known for a special style of play called "havoc." In this style, the team plays very aggressively on defense. They use a lot of full court pressure, where they guard opponents all over the court. They also use double teams and traps to try and steal the ball and stop the other team's offense. At Texas, Smart used this style less often.
People also say that Smart is great at building relationships with his players. He helps teams become closer and work better together.
Personal Life
Shaka Smart's first name comes from Shaka kaSenzangakhona, a famous Zulu king. His middle name, Dingani, means "one who is searching" in the Ndebele language.
Smart is married to Maya Payne Smart, who is an author and a professor. They have one child. He also has six siblings.
