As the “who’da thunk it” Final Four gets underway this weekend, Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart will be at the center of media attention, and possibly the top candidate to fill N.C. State’s coaching vacancy.
The Rams’ improbable Cinderella run to the national semifinals has catapulted Smart into one of the top young coaches in the nation and a target for programs with vacancies. But with Purdue’s re-signing of Matt Painter yesterday, the only big-time jobs left are Missouri, Oklahoma and N.C. State.
It’s been reported that the 33-year-old Smart is definitely on Athletic Director Debbie Yow’s list of possible replacements, and her scheduled trip to Houston for the Final Four and annual coaches’ conference may further illustrate her interest in the VCU coach.
However, two obvious questions remain: will Smart even be interested in leaving VCU for Raleigh and will he be a good fit for the program?
Yow has expressed a willingness to make N.C. State one of the best-paid jobs in the ACC, which would be anywhere from $2-3 million. Smart’s current salary is $325,000. So while many people say money isn’t a factor, well, it’s hard for anyone to turn down that large of a salary increase.
With a senior-laden VCU team, Smart very well could decide that the time is now to take a big-time coaching gig. The Rams will lose four of its five starters, including leading scorer Jamie Skeen, so Smart’s stock will liely drop immediately if he decides to stay put in Richmond.
The possible N.C. State-Shaka Smart marriage is appealing for both parties. With a bevy of young talented players, Smart could step right in and instill his run-and-gun offense effectively. With all Pack players intending to return, Smart would have the pieces to immediately be competitive in the ACC puzzle. And perhaps more importantly, Smart is known as a great motivator who gets the most out of his players, which would be a drastic change considering the halfhearted body language players expressed last season.
The only question mark surrounding Smart is that he’s only had two years of head coaching experience. While he has proven he can win at VCU (55-20 overall), so could his predecessors—Jeff Capel went 79-41 in four seasons before Anthony Grant took over and went 76-25 in three seasons.
Smart is a gamble, but when you take a look at other possible candidates, it’s easy to see why the Madison, Wisc., native is garnering serious interest from Yow.
Arizona’s Sean Miller and Texas’ Rick Barnes have already withdrawn their names from consideration and Richmond’s Chris Mooney just inked a 10-year deal to stay with the Spiders. Lee Fowler is no longer the athletic director, but if the Pack keeps shooting for the stars when it comes to coaching candidates, things could start getting embarrassing again.
Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall, who’s team will play in the College Basketball Invitational title game Thursday night, has reportedly shown interest in the job and remains a candidate. The only problem facing Marshall is whether or not Yow will land a coach higher on her list.
As for the recruiting aspect, Smart’s track record indicates he can attract top-notch players even in the same backyard as North Carolina and Duke. Smart served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Clemson and Florida, helping sign players like Demontez Stitt and Kenny Boynton. To compete with its Tobacco Road rivals, the new State coach must be able to recruit on a high level and Smart certainly fits that bill.
As we are now 16 days into the coaching search, Wolfpack Nation is chomping at the bit to finally know who will take the reins as the program’s new coach. Fans will have to at least wait until the end of the Final Four, but if Yow can end up landing Smart, the wait will be well worth it and could end up being a perfect fit for years to come.