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Q&A: New Texas coach Shaka Smart
Shaka Smart is starts a new chapter in his coaching career. After six seasons at VCU, highlighted by a 2011 Final Four trip, Smart is taking over at Texas. CBSSports.com's Jon Rothstein talked with Smart about the choice, the Longhorns' roster and what lies ahead in the Big 12.
Jon Rothstein, CBSSports.com: How weird was it to go on the road recruiting this past weekend and not wear any apparel or clothing that was associated with VCU?
Shaka Smart: It's an adjustment. You're used to wearing a certain set of colors, but it's a good adjustment. We're excited. We're hitting the ground running with that stuff and obviously with the recruiting period being upon us it's all going fast. But that's what happens this time of year.
CBSSports.com: You turned down so many high-profile opportunities over the past few years to remain at VCU. What was so different to you about Texas?
Smart: I think just that it was Texas. That was the biggest difference. If you look at the opportunities here from the university to the city to the athletic department and the tradition that this basketball program has -- and the future opportunities that this basketball program has -- it struck me overall as a phenomenal opportunity for us.
CBSSports.com: You've been prepared to deal with a lot of things in your coaching career, but you never had to stand in front of your team and tell them you were leaving to go to another school. What was that like?
Smart: That was the hardest part, because you have relationships built up with these guys and you care about them. They came to school to play for you and in college coaching the change is so abrupt. It's unlike most other professions where there's a little bit of a time period where you can say goodbye and spend some time. I really made the decision on a Thursday night and was gone the next day.
CBSSports.com: Your high-octane style allowed your brand to grow into a national product at VCU. Do you think you'll be able to implement that same philosophy at Texas?
Smart: I think some of the things that made successful will carry over. I think that you always want to fit what you do around who you have. I think that's really important. I'm still in the process of getting a feel for the team here. The guys that we have on the team and the guys that we have coming in -- we're still figuring that stuff out. I wouldn't say our team at Texas this next year will look different than the VCU teams that we've had, but there will certainly be some similarities and we don't have to necessarily do what we did at VCU for 40 minutes. I think there will be an emphasis for us to play an aggressive style of basketball and for us to offensively hopefully play fast.
CBSSports.com: You've only been on the job for a little over week, but what are your initial impressions of the roster you've inherited on Texas?
Smart: It's a really good group of guys. Guys that care about one another and I've been really impressed by that. They seem like they get along really well, which is important. A group of guys that we're really excited to work with. We've been on the court a couple of times and we'll be on the court some more this week. I'm excited about the eagerness that these guys have shown to get on the court and work.
CBSSports.com: One major difference in your staff compared to the one you had at VCU is Darrin Horn, who was formerly the head coach at South Carolina. How big was it to you to have a former head coach on your staff from the power five level?
Smart: I think the biggest thing is Darrin's a guy that has had a lot of success as a head coach. He's coached in the Sweet 16 and has coached some terrific players. The level of experience that he brings to our staff is very high. At the same time, he has a humility level that allows him to fit in really well with our other guys. You kind of combine all those things when you're making decisions with your staff.
CBSSports.com: You're still a young head coach yourself, but several of your former assistants are currently already head coaches including Will Wade who succeeded you at VCU. How does the feeling of watching one of your former pupils have success compare to when one of your own team's have success?
Smart: I think that's something as a coach that makes you feel really good -- when guys you worked with in the past -- players, assistant coaches who can move on and have success. That's something that I don't want to say we took a lot of pride in because we didn't beat our chest about it at VCU, but it's something that's fun to watch and fun to see. Whether it's Mike Rhoades (Rice) or Will Wade (VCU) or Mike Jones (Radford) or Jamion Christian (Mount St. Mary's) or guys that have played at VCU in the past and have moved on, it's a lot of fun to see.
CBSSports.com: In addition to yourself, five other coaches in the Big 12 have reached the Final Four and the ones who didn't have all led their teams to deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. Being the head coach at Texas is a great opportunity, but how great of a coaching challenge are you specifically about to undertake considering the level of competition that's in this league?
Smart: It's a league of phenomenal coaches, really across the board. It's something that certainly presents a great challenge when you combine talented teams with terrific coaches, it presents very tough competition when you're going against the other programs in this league. We're excited about building on the success that Texas has had in the past and this is a program that as we go and continue to improve, can have a lot success. We're going to work hard at that.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25149969/qa-new-texas-coach-shaka-smart
Shaka Smart is starts a new chapter in his coaching career. After six seasons at VCU, highlighted by a 2011 Final Four trip, Smart is taking over at Texas. CBSSports.com's Jon Rothstein talked with Smart about the choice, the Longhorns' roster and what lies ahead in the Big 12.
Jon Rothstein, CBSSports.com: How weird was it to go on the road recruiting this past weekend and not wear any apparel or clothing that was associated with VCU?
Shaka Smart: It's an adjustment. You're used to wearing a certain set of colors, but it's a good adjustment. We're excited. We're hitting the ground running with that stuff and obviously with the recruiting period being upon us it's all going fast. But that's what happens this time of year.
CBSSports.com: You turned down so many high-profile opportunities over the past few years to remain at VCU. What was so different to you about Texas?
Smart: I think just that it was Texas. That was the biggest difference. If you look at the opportunities here from the university to the city to the athletic department and the tradition that this basketball program has -- and the future opportunities that this basketball program has -- it struck me overall as a phenomenal opportunity for us.
CBSSports.com: You've been prepared to deal with a lot of things in your coaching career, but you never had to stand in front of your team and tell them you were leaving to go to another school. What was that like?
Smart: That was the hardest part, because you have relationships built up with these guys and you care about them. They came to school to play for you and in college coaching the change is so abrupt. It's unlike most other professions where there's a little bit of a time period where you can say goodbye and spend some time. I really made the decision on a Thursday night and was gone the next day.
CBSSports.com: Your high-octane style allowed your brand to grow into a national product at VCU. Do you think you'll be able to implement that same philosophy at Texas?
Smart: I think some of the things that made successful will carry over. I think that you always want to fit what you do around who you have. I think that's really important. I'm still in the process of getting a feel for the team here. The guys that we have on the team and the guys that we have coming in -- we're still figuring that stuff out. I wouldn't say our team at Texas this next year will look different than the VCU teams that we've had, but there will certainly be some similarities and we don't have to necessarily do what we did at VCU for 40 minutes. I think there will be an emphasis for us to play an aggressive style of basketball and for us to offensively hopefully play fast.
CBSSports.com: You've only been on the job for a little over week, but what are your initial impressions of the roster you've inherited on Texas?
Smart: It's a really good group of guys. Guys that care about one another and I've been really impressed by that. They seem like they get along really well, which is important. A group of guys that we're really excited to work with. We've been on the court a couple of times and we'll be on the court some more this week. I'm excited about the eagerness that these guys have shown to get on the court and work.
CBSSports.com: One major difference in your staff compared to the one you had at VCU is Darrin Horn, who was formerly the head coach at South Carolina. How big was it to you to have a former head coach on your staff from the power five level?
Smart: I think the biggest thing is Darrin's a guy that has had a lot of success as a head coach. He's coached in the Sweet 16 and has coached some terrific players. The level of experience that he brings to our staff is very high. At the same time, he has a humility level that allows him to fit in really well with our other guys. You kind of combine all those things when you're making decisions with your staff.
CBSSports.com: You're still a young head coach yourself, but several of your former assistants are currently already head coaches including Will Wade who succeeded you at VCU. How does the feeling of watching one of your former pupils have success compare to when one of your own team's have success?
Smart: I think that's something as a coach that makes you feel really good -- when guys you worked with in the past -- players, assistant coaches who can move on and have success. That's something that I don't want to say we took a lot of pride in because we didn't beat our chest about it at VCU, but it's something that's fun to watch and fun to see. Whether it's Mike Rhoades (Rice) or Will Wade (VCU) or Mike Jones (Radford) or Jamion Christian (Mount St. Mary's) or guys that have played at VCU in the past and have moved on, it's a lot of fun to see.
CBSSports.com: In addition to yourself, five other coaches in the Big 12 have reached the Final Four and the ones who didn't have all led their teams to deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. Being the head coach at Texas is a great opportunity, but how great of a coaching challenge are you specifically about to undertake considering the level of competition that's in this league?
Smart: It's a league of phenomenal coaches, really across the board. It's something that certainly presents a great challenge when you combine talented teams with terrific coaches, it presents very tough competition when you're going against the other programs in this league. We're excited about building on the success that Texas has had in the past and this is a program that as we go and continue to improve, can have a lot success. We're going to work hard at that.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25149969/qa-new-texas-coach-shaka-smart
