From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Shaka Smart made an impact.
Shaka Smart is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach at Marquette University. He was also a college basketball player. He married Maya Payne Smart in 2006, and they have a daughter named Zora, born in 2011.
1978: Texas Won NIT Championship
In the 2018–19 season, Smart led Texas to a 21–16 record and a National Invitation Tournament championship, the school's first since 1978.
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1999: Started Coaching Career
In 1999, Shaka Smart began his coaching career as an assistant coach at California University of Pennsylvania.
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2009: Hired as Head Coach of VCU
In 2009, Shaka Smart was hired as the head coach of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
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2011: Led VCU to Final Four
In 2011, Shaka Smart led Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to its first and only Final Four appearance in the NCAA tournament.
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2011: VCU's deep run in NCAA tournament
In 2011, VCU made a surprising run to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament, defeating several higher-ranked teams.
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January 2013: Won 100th Game
In January 2013, Shaka Smart became the second-youngest coach to win 100 games.
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2015: Became Head Coach of University of Texas
In 2015, Shaka Smart became the head coach of the University of Texas men's basketball team.
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May 2017: Recruiting Commitment from Mohamed Bamba
In May 2017, Smart received a commitment from Mohamed Bamba to play at Texas.
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2018: Lost in First Round of NCAA Tournament
In 2018, Smart led the Longhorns to a 19–15 record. The team lost in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament to the University of Nevada in overtime.
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2018: Led Texas to NIT Championship
In the 2018–19 season, Smart led Texas to a 21–16 record and a National Invitation Tournament championship.
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March 2021: Hired as Head Coach of Marquette University
In March 2021, Marquette University hired Smart to replace Steve Wojciechowski as the Golden Eagles' head coach.
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March 2021: Left Texas
Smart left Texas in March 2021 after an early exit from the NCAA tournament.
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2022: Contract Through 2022-23 Season
In 2015, Shaka Smart received a contract extension which would keep him at Texas through the 2022–23 season.
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