Part of taking over a new program is getting the team, the school, administration, fans and students to believe that winning is not only possible, but is expected and desired. Shaka Smart took over at Virginia Commonwealth University is 2009, his first stint as a head coach after ten years as an assistant coach at four different universities. He left Billy Donovan’s staff at Florida, now coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and took the job to coach the Rams. VCU reached their high point in the 2011 NCAA tournament, beating top seeded Kansas in the Elite Eight for there first Final Four appearance in school history. The Rams lost to Butler, but the program had become nationally prominent. On April 2, 2015, Smart took the offer to become the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Texas.
The Longhorns were recently named by Forbes the most valuable college football team in the country, but Smart had ideas of getting Texas back to the top of the college basketball world. Smart brought his up-tempo strategy to Austin, with his focus remaining on creating havoc and turnovers on the defensive end. While at VCU, Smart was known for his pressing style on the defensive end, playing scrappy and physical, and turning over opponents and taking advantage of weaknesses. Smart’s teams ranked first nationally in both turnovers and forced steals per possession from 2011-2014. Smart came to Texas and began to implement his culture change, practicing and diving on the floor with his team during practice. His sense of enthusiasm and love for the game is second to none.
On the court results have proven to be evident in Smart’s first season as the head coach in the often-described toughest conference in the nation, that being the Big 12. Texas currently sits with a 12-6 record this season, boasting wins over two top 10 teams. The Longhorns welcomed the North Carolina Tar Heels into the Frank Erwin Center on December 13th, winning on a last second shot from Javan Felix. Texas picked up another quality win on Wednesday, beating sixth-ranked West Virginia on the road by seven.
The Longhorns currently sit in fifth place in the Big 12, heading to Kansas on Saturday for another big test. The road to win the Big 12 Conference goes through Lawrence, Kansas, and Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks have won the last 11 conference championships. If Smart and his Longhorns want to take the next step in the conference and on the national scene, a competitive game with Kansas this weekend is another stepping stone in the culture change and winning mentality Coach Smart is developing.