OT - Shaka Smart spurns UCLA, Minnesota

[NHUConnfan]

Seriously...what school is it going to have to be to pry him away from VCU?

Regardless, mad props to Shaka for staying at VCU. When he does make the move, it's going to be a statement...clearly the number of jobs he would take is less than you can count on one hand.

 

[champs99and04]

I can't for the life of me imagine why he would pass up the UCLA job. Bruin fans have endured a decade of Ben Howland - they'll be more than happy to embrace Shaka's franetic, fast-paced style of play. We don't know whether he's a good recruiter, but the region has no shortage of talent, so he's bound to reign in at least a couple big fish. You'd think the asses would be back in the seats if Shaka managed to execute the system he ran at VCU with more talented players. I respect his decision to stay put at VCU, though you do wonder what job openings, if any, would entice him to leave VCU. I guess one of the great unanswered questions in UConn basketball history will be whether Shaka would have accepted the UConn job had it been made available to him.

 

[61cygni]

Good, college basketball needs coaches who are willing to build up programs. Where would we be if Calhoun bolted after a taste of NCAA success?

 

[zls44]

UCLA is notoriously cheap. They have to get away from that.

 

[CAHUSKY]

UCLA is notoriously cheap. They have to get away from that.

Howland made over 2 mil, they aren't that cheap

 

[Brochacho]

Seems like Shaka may want one of the high profile east-coast jobs. Cuse, UConn, Georgetown, UNC, Duke, etc.

 

[traitor71]

Howland made over 2 mil, they aren't that cheap

What would it cost Smart to live there vs what it costs him to live now? I honestly don't know and am too lazy to look it up. Maybe he also looks at what the expectations there might be and he doesn't think they are possible to meet. If that is the case I would wager that he doesn't want to be the next guy fired by UCLA because they are dreaming of Wooden like results.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Howland has 3 Final Fours and he was fired. UCLA is not a good job. No one in LA really cares about them anymore, or any spectator sports for that matter. The expectations are unreasonable, there is mixed fan support, and the rest of the conference stinks.

Minnesota is really cold. Like freeze the end of your schwanz off by early October kind of cold.

If I was Shaka, I would wait to see what UNC and Duke do. I don't think either coach is that far from retirement, and Williams does not look like he is enjoying it anymore. Hamilton should have been canned years ago at FSU. I suspect the top rising coaches like Shaka are keeping an eye on Texas. Barnes has not made it out of the first weekend of the Dance since 2008, and he has lost 10 or more games 4 of the last 5 years.

There are better opportunities than UCLA and Minnesota.

 

[uchusky32]

[quothatBrochacho, post: 553379, member: 705"]Seems like Shaka may want one of the high profile east-coast jobs. Cuse, UConn, Georgetown, UNC, Duke, etc.[/quote]

If that's the case it will come down to Grown and Cuse. We're locked in for a good while. Duke and NC would prefer to stay in house. Not saying he doesn't have a shot. But I don't see coach K leaving and not lobbying for one of his own. Now if Roy Williams doesn't step up the coaching (he gets McDonald's AA).he might not have a say.

 

[CTMike]

If I was Shaka, I would wait to see what UNC and Duke do.

It's not often I find myself agreeing with Nelson, but, well, there ya go.

 

[tcf15]

Good, college basketball needs coaches who are willing to build up programs. Where would we be if Calhoun bolted after a taste of NCAA success?

Totally agree. I'd love to see Shaka or Stevens just stay put and build their programs for 15+ years.

 

[Jerry1714]

Howland made over 2 mil, they aren't that cheap

They fly Southwest to games, not a charter. They are cheap and that is commonly known throughout college basketball.

Also, he was making 2 mill last year but 1.5 mill before that. Kevin Stalling and Anthony Grant make 2 mill. Purdue pays over 2 mill. Paying a coach who went to 3 straight Final Fours and is living in LA is cheap.

Good for Shaka. It is a smart move UCLA is not the job people think it is.

 

[Lefty2one]

^^^ A few of the sports talk shows said the same thing the last few days, that UCLA is cheap and it's going to (or finally has) hurt them.


Good for Shaka.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Waiting for G'town would be a wise move. He knows the area and the high school coaches know him.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dogdeacon]

It is his choice and I don't disagree with it. Keep building a program where you are happy.

I know zippo about the day-to-day at UCLofA but c'mon we cannot be arguing that VCU in Richmond is a better job than UCLA in southern California. #1 resource for a college basketball coach ain't $, its players.

As far as holding out for the Dook and/or UNC jobs (much less GTown or UConn or any other school somone makes up for no apparent reason) that is crazy speculation and he extended until 2023 so that's not his plan in addition to the program loyalty reasons that those jobs are longshots (he is not an evil genius putting together a long-term plan to be coach at XX.

 

[8893]

Obviously, he's waiting for KO to fail so he and scooter can realize their dream of having him take over UConn.

 

[nomar]

Waiting for G'town would be a wise move. He knows the area and the high school coaches know him.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Waiting a decade or two? JTIII's not going anywhere.

 

[BearJWS]

Waiting a decade or two? JTIII's not going anywhere.

Bingo! Beat me to it.

 

[gtcam]

It's not often I find myself agreeing with Nelson, but, well, there ya go.

Wow the guy appears in one final four, gets blown out of a 32 stage game and we are talking 2 of the top 10 jobs (unc and dook)
oh yeah I forgot, shaka is a phenom, a great coach, a defensive guru and a top notch recruiter
UCLA is no longer the glamour job it may have been but would be a nice place for someone like shaka to really show what he is made of in a different situation - away from a comfort zone. Can he recruit the BIG BOYS? Can he work under the microscope of a demanding alumni, BoTrustees? Is he willing to pry himself from his "comfort zone"?
JC took the challange and at the time UCONN was no UCLA and JC was not the name that shaka is. Maybe there is a difference in the fabric of these men. Is fear of failure a factor? Has he done well at VCU? Damn right (granted it's been a short period of time).
On the bright side - he has Spike Lee sitting court side - life can't get better!!!!!!

 

[BearJWS]

Minnesota is really cold. Like freeze the end of your schwanz off by early October kind of cold.

If I was Shaka, I would wait to see what UNC and Duke do. I don't think either coach is that far from retirement, and Williams does not look like he is enjoying it anymore.

Shaka is from Wisconsin though, so Minnesota wouldn't have been a stretch. I highly doubt UNC or Duke would hire from outside their family tree of coaches. And I can't see both Coach K or Williams retiring anytime soon.

 

[Husky25]

Good, college basketball needs coaches who are willing to build up programs. Where would we be if Calhoun bolted after a taste of NCAA success?

Different situations. No doubt Calhoun got offers, But the young Big East had established itself as a basketball power back in the Mid 80's. Calhoun would not have been a hot commodity until at least 1988 (NIT), but certainly after the dream season. During the 8 years prior, you had Gtown making 3 out of championship games ('82, "84-'85), Nova ('85), and the 3 BE team Final 4 in 1987. The New Big East has none of that, nor can the schools leverage exposure brought by football. Connecticut was in a much better position than Virginia Commonwealth.