Big East Basketball: Ranking all 11 head coaches after Pitino/English hires
By Joey Loose
5. Shaka Smart – Marquette
Born and raised in Wisconsin, it seems appropriate that Smart is getting things back on track at Marquette. A former point guard at Kenyon College, a D3 school in Ohio, Smart’s coaching career began on a number of staffs, including time with Dayton, Clemson, and Florida before getting his first head coaching gig at VCU. In just his second season, he led the Rams to the Final Four as an 11-seed in a wild Cinderella run. Smart would spend six successful years leading VCU before six rocky years at Texas.
Smart led VCU to the NCAA Tournament five times and took Texas there three times, but became Marquette’s head coach in 2021. He’s lead the Golden Eagles back to the Big Dance in his first two seasons, but this past year was a magnificent effort all-around. Marquette won the Big East regular season and tournament titles before falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, with this season getting Smart above 300 career head coaching wins.
What’s unfortunate for Smart is that he’s just 3-9 in the NCAA Tournament since that Final Four run. However, he’s done incredible work in just two seasons leading the Golden Eagles and that return to postseason success might just come in due time. Smart’s been a fantastic addition to the conference after struggling to build success with the Longhorns in the Big 12. Back in his home state, Smart keeps winning games and has this program in enviable shape.