With John Beilein off to the NBA, Michigan Basketball suddenly hunt for their next head coach. Let’s take a look at why Shaka Smart is a solid fit for the job.
In a somewhat surprising move, John Beilein accepted the head coaching position for the Cleveland Cavaliers, departing after twelve seasons leading Michigan Basketball. He took his Big Ten club to a pair of national title games and built a consistent winner. The past decade has been successful and full of winning for the Wolverines, but now the athletic department finds itself thrust into a coaching search late in the offseason.
Big names like Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens were initially mentioned for the jobs, though both coaches have opted to remain in the NBA. Miami Heat assistant and Michigan alum Juwan Howard is a hot name for the job, while familiar candidates include assistant Luke Yaklich and former Michigan assistant LaVall Jordan, now head coach at Butler. There have been numerous other names mentioned, like Mike White and Bobby Hurley, but there’s one other person who would continue the great work that Beilein has brought to Ann Arbor.
Shaka Smart was only 33 years old when he led VCU to the Final Four in 2011, knocking off five different power conference foes along the way. He instituted a havoc defense for the Rams and proved he could win at the mid-major level. VCU made five NCAA Tournaments in his six years, winning the CBI during his debut in 2010. He parlayed that success into the head coaching job at Texas in 2015, having been a hot name for nearly every coaching opening in the years prior to that.
The biggest knock on Shaka is how his tenure at Texas has gone. He’s done a solid job of recruiting and he’s gotten the Longhorns playing solid defense, but they just haven’t won enough games. He’s just 71-66 through four seasons and has been in the Dance just twice. Some have argued that the fit hasn’t worked well for Smart, though he was given the green light to return for a fifth season in Austin. With the Michigan job now open, will he even need to risk it?
Had Beilein moved on four years ago, Smart would be at the very top of this list. He has intensity, both on and off the court, and does bring a pedigree of wining to the Wolverines. He has much more head coaching experience than candidates like Howard and Jordan and has already proven that he can recruit for his system at the college level. He’s also received high praise from Billy Donovan, who he briefly coached under at Florida over a decade ago.
In all reality, Smart is probably not going to be the next head coach at Michigan. There’s the matter of his buyout at Texas plus his lack of success at a power conference school raises a red flag after his success at VCU. When he was tabbed by Texas, he brought his excitement and energy to the Longhorns and could easily do the same for the Wolverines. Unfortunately, his success has been sullied these last few seasons, even after winning the NIT this past year.
At Michigan, football is the king sport, but the basketball has surely made considerable waves in the last ten years. Whether Smart would be more like Tommy Amaker or Beilein is yet to be seen, but he could definitely have success both building this roster and coaching a strong, intense defensive team. Michigan would bring Smart much closer to home and his recruiting footprint. Just because he has struggled at Texas doesn’t mean the same thing would happen at Michigan, though it will give fans cause for worry.
The bottom line is that Shaka can win, he can motivate his players, and he can build competent rosters. There’s half a dozen D1 programs led by his former assistants and he’d no doubt put together another stellar staff with the Wolverines. Whether or not he’s a realistic candidate, he’s the kind of guy who could keep Michigan’s upcoming class together and help build a bright future. Will they pull the trigger and make this Smart hire?