RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Shaka Smart has been a hot coaching commodity since leading Virginia Commonwealth to the Final Four in 2011. He had reportedly shunned several big-time offers, but the lure of Texas was finally too much to turn down.
VCU sports information director Scott Day confirmed Thursday night that Smart was leaving the Richmond university to take over the program in Austin. Smart met with VCU players earlier in the evening at the Siegel Center, the team’s home arena, and at least one player was seen crying when he left.
Smart, who has won at least 26 games in each of his six seasons at VCU, is bolting for a Texas program that hasn’t been able to unseat Kansas atop the Big 12. But the Longhorns also boast the wealthiest athletic department in the country and easy access to some of the nation’s most fertile recruiting grounds in Dallas and Houston.
Terms of Smart’s contract were not immediately released and VCU said a statement would be released Friday. Barnes made $2.62 million last season, while Smart made $1.8 million with the Rams.
Texas athletic director Steve Patterson had zeroed in on bringing Smart to Texas immediately after firing former Longhorns coach Rick Barnes last weekend. Patterson flew to Richmond on Thursday to close the deal. Texas officials did not have any immediate comment on the hire.