GatorBait.net - Virginia Commonwealth hires Florida assistant

March 31, 2009

Ryan Bartow
Rivals.com College Basketball

Sources familiar with the hiring process say Virginia Commonwealth has agreed in principal to hire Shaka Smart as its new basketball coach.

Smart, a Florida assistant, will replace Anthony Grant, who was hired last week by Alabama.

VCU also interviewed Texas assistant Russell Springmann and Navy coach Billy Lange.

Smart, 32, spent one year on the Gators' staff after two seasons working under Oliver Purnell at Clemson.

In his time with the the Tigers, the program won 49 games and had back-to-back postseason appearances - including an NCAA tournament berth in 2008.

Smart worked at Akron during the 2005-06 season; the Zips finished 23-10 that season - their highest victory total since they became a Division I program in 1980-81. It was the most victories by any Akron team since 1971-72.

Smart also worked for Purnell at Dayton for two seasons as director of basketball operations in 2001-03. In those two seasons, the Flyers were 45-17 and won the 2003 Atlantic 10 championship.

Before his time at Dayton and immediately after graduating from college, Smart served as an assistant coach at California University of Pennsylvania. The Division II school was 40-16 in those two seasons. While he worked at California (Pa.), Smart earned his master's degree in social science.

Smart played college basketball at Kenyon College in Ohio and graduated magna cum laude in 1999 with a degree in history. A four-year starter and three-year captain, he holds the Kenyon assist record for a season (184) and a career (542).

Smart was a standout at Oregon (Wis.) High School and one of 20 student-athletes selected for the 1999 USA Today All-USA Academic team.

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