Smart Ready to Work
Shaka Smart. (courtesy of VCU)
As much as new Texas head basketball coach Shaka Smart won his opening press conference with everyone in attendance and watching on TV, it was a soon to be senior that probably gave the best perspective as to the changes you might see in the Texas program.
The 6-foot-10 junior Prince Ibeh was asked about his initial conversations and impression of his new head coach heading into his senior year and describing it as impressed would be an understatement.
“He told us he was ready to get to work as soon as possible and meet with us individually and get to know us a lot,” said Ibeh. “That was one of the things he emphasized was the relationships between the player and the coach.”
Smart talked about building relationships and remarked that his top core value is appreciation. He went on to say that it was not lost on him that he was chosen and given the opportunity to be the head basketball program at the best athletic program in the country. The genuine way in which he communicates does make it easy to see why he was able to rally the folks at Virginia Commonwealth behind he and his team and win some recruiting battles when he was never expected to even be in the conversation.
He is a player’s coach. Obviously there are a lot of ways to manage a basketball team but Ibeh pointed out, it will be a difference from the way the program was managed under 17-year head former coach Rick Barnes.
“I think that is a bit of what was needed,” Ibeh explained. “Coach Barnes was more of an old school in his methods and the things he did. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I think a fresh start could be good for everybody.”
When I spoke with an Assistant Athletic Director at a Power 5 school where Smart was an assistant, the conversation could not have been more positive about UT’s new hoops guy.
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“When I heard the Texas job was open, I wondered if that might be the one for Shaka,” my source said. “He was so well liked when he was here I think everyone knew he would get a huge job at some point. I just hope Texas is the right one for him.”
My conversation went on to include how much he cares about the players, how much real life perspective he has, and finally how hard he is willing to work.
“He is a tireless recruiter and while he will work just as hard at Texas, he will get to work differently and I would expect Texas to be in the conversation very soon for some of the best players available, especially in Texas,” he concluded.
Coach Smart shed a little light on that matter in his opening press conference when he said that on his first day of the job the reception on the phones calls were different by being able to say, “This is Coach Shaka Smart at the University of Texas.”
A player’s coach in 2016 that is a tireless recruiter and probably understands how to handle and communicate with this current generation of athletes. Texas Athletic Director Steve Patterson took some heat for the way the separation happened with Barnes but most feel he hit a home run with the hire of Smart.
Things are looking good for the future of Texas basketball.
