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Shaka Smart Rumor

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I like the idea of Smart, but I hope he ends up waiting longer than one year for the job.
 
We need more certainty around here. JC needs to announce his intentions asap.
 
Hoophound said:
We need more certainty around here. JC needs to announce his intentions asap.
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After he got an extension last year I can't believe this is even an issue again.
 
It will be an issue every year now. JC is in the home stretch of his career. He needs to be very clear about his intentions early and often to avoid this stuff.
 
Does Shaka have any ties to anything UConn related?
 
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UofCT2009 said:
Does Shaka have any ties to anything UConn related?
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No, but he can recruit his current area well at UConn. I am sure he feels like an east coast job is ideal for him.
 
That forum is ticking me off, they keep calling Calhoun a dirtbag... Where do they get off?
 
As much as I like Ollie, Shaka would be a homerun.

I am fascinated that this rumor has the traction it does considering the source 20 year old guy with the handle @SwagAir.
 
walker11 said:
As much as I like Ollie, Shaka would be a homerun.

I am fascinated that this rumor has the traction it does considering the source 20 year old guy with the handle @SwagAir.
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Yeah, but it's THE SwagAir, so hey.
 
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Shaka was already at the top of my list to succeed Calhoun. I will happily latch on to any rumor, no matter how uncorroborated, that allows me to view this as a realistic possibility. Man I would LOVE to see Smart's havoc style of play at UConn.
 
walker11 said:
As much as I like Ollie, Shaka would be a homerun.

I am fascinated that this rumor has the traction it does considering the source 20 year old guy with the handle @SwagAir.
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Welcome to 21st century media. It's utterly insane.

But, that said, it seems to me that rumors like this are nothing but good for the UConn program. I hope this one gets spread far and wide.
 
UofCT2009 said:
That forum is ticking me off, they keep calling Calhoun a dirtbag... Where do they get off?
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I know! It's not like UConn is in the middle of NCAA sanct...
 
UconnFanInNYC said:
I liked that wallpaper..was that Sharif Abdul Rahim..?
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Good question. If you're talking about the guy in the Raptors jersey, that's Camby. Abdur Rahim is in the picture, but not shown, at least on the view I get. Took a lot of googling to figure out what that picture is, but turns out it's the 1996 draft class. Man, what a class. Allen, Bryant, Iverson, Nash, Camby, Abdur Rahim, Marbury, Antoine Walker, several other good players.
 
a week ago lavin said on national tv that shaka would go to illinois. this is interesting.
 
I've said before that Shaka Smart is the best choice for JC's successor and more likely to make a long career at UCONN than Ollie (we've all heard the talk that Ollie wants to coach in the NBA and he certainly has NBA ties). We need an energetic, successful coach and can't afford to gamble on a coach with no head coaching experience at a critical point in the program's history. Smart would do an awesome job at UCONN and I would be thrilled to get him. I hope Herbst and the new AD see the positive impact hiring Smart would have with the fanbase, recruiting, and bringing renewed energy to the program.
 
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i have a question for u guys based off this rumor. first let me say i am pro family but am not anti looking around. a local recruit i am close with among others have told me that ko/Kayleigh Heckel have told him that they will be here for the future and are recruiting him telling him that they will be the coaches at uconn. i guess ast coaches vs head coach is up for question but from what i have heard they will be around. i just find it hard that jc would leave before the ncaa/ap/pf stuff is done.

so my thing is, if we are goin goutside the family is it possible that ko/Kayleigh Heckel could stay on as the family connection under shaka? would u guys be pro or anti something like that?

also lets say that we are def going outside for a coach like shaka. considering the ncaa/apr/pf and everything going on, would it be smart now if we brought shaka in this summer or next as a ast coach "in waiting" thing and kinda gave him a year to get his feet wet here before jc leaves?
 
UCweCONN said:
I've said before that Shaka Smart is the best choice for JC's successor and more likely to make a long career at UCONN than Ollie (we've all heard the talk that Ollie wants to coach in the NBA and he certainly has NBA ties). We need an energetic, successful coach and can't afford to gamble on a coach with no head coaching experience at a critical point in the program's history. Smart would do an awesome job at UCONN and I would be thrilled to get him. I hope Herbst and the new AD see the positive impact hiring Smart would have with the fanbase, recruiting, and bringing renewed energy to the program.
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I think Smart would be a great pick up, I only have a problem with the bolded part of your post. By "we've all heard the talk that Ollie wants to coach in the NBA," you surely mean that you heard Dave Pasch mentioned this 2 total times in the Big East tournament, and it has never been discussed otherwise.
 
As intrigued as I am about Shaka, I think he might have planted this rumor himself to help in the negotiations with Illinios. I dont think he would want to wait another year if he could be the head guy now.
 
FfldCntyFan said:
Illinois men's basketball may well be the ultimate what should be job in sports. They should be able to put together a quality team without really trying and dominate with a reasonable effort. Somehow nothing has ever worked for more than a stray few seasons here and there.
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I can remember watching an Illinois high school tournament game during boot camp at Great Lakes, IL, a very long time ago. No sound, only picture in the smoking lounge with 150 other smokers (2 companies). Through the haze I thought it was a college game, based on having just watched UConn a few months prior to it. They were playing way over the rim.
 
People over rate the Illinois job all the time. It is a really really good job top 20 or so. But people think it is a top 10 job its not. The Chicago connection is overrated. Chicago is an open city and send their players all over. Also its long been known that the Chicago Public League has some dirty figures in it.

Illinois has ridiculous amounts of talent, U of I just has done a horrible job of fitting the pieces together.
 
HuskyfanDan said:
i have a question for u guys based off this rumor. first let me say i am pro family but am not anti looking around. a local recruit i am close with among others have told me that ko/Kayleigh Heckel have told him that they will be here for the future and are recruiting him telling him that they will be the coaches at uconn. i guess ast coaches vs head coach is up for question but from what i have heard they will be around. i just find it hard that jc would leave before the ncaa/ap/pf stuff is done.

so my thing is, if we are goin goutside the family is it possible that ko/Kayleigh Heckel could stay on as the family connection under shaka? would u guys be pro or anti something like that?

also lets say that we are def going outside for a coach like shaka. considering the ncaa/apr/pf and everything going on, would it be smart now if we brought shaka in this summer or next as a ast coach "in waiting" thing and kinda gave him a year to get his feet wet here before jc leaves?
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I would take Shaka and let you assistant coach, so no problem keeping ko/Kayleigh Heckel.
 
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HuskyfanDan said:
i have a question for u guys based off this rumor. first let me say i am pro family but am not anti looking around. a local recruit i am close with among others have told me that ko/Kayleigh Heckel have told him that they will be here for the future and are recruiting him telling him that they will be the coaches at uconn. i guess ast coaches vs head coach is up for question but from what i have heard they will be around. i just find it hard that jc would leave before the ncaa/ap/pf stuff is done.

so my thing is, if we are goin goutside the family is it possible that ko/Kayleigh Heckel could stay on as the family connection under shaka? would u guys be pro or anti something like that?

also lets say that we are def going outside for a coach like shaka. considering the ncaa/apr/pf and everything going on, would it be smart now if we brought shaka in this summer or next as a ast coach "in waiting" thing and kinda gave him a year to get his feet wet here before jc leaves?
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This is Calhoun's program as long as we're fortunate enough to have him. I think the only way a "coach in waiting" situation would make sense is if (1) Calhoun publicly stated his intention to retire at some future date certain, and (2) the coach in question is a Calhoun/UConn guy. Calhoun hasn't and Smart isn't, so I don't favor trying to bring him in as an assistant. It'd just be a recipe for disaster (ask WVU's football program) and Calhoun deserves to leave on his own terms.

If we ultimately do go outside the family and bring in Shaka (or someone else) as a new head coach a year from now or whenever, then we give him the keys and let him hire who he wants. I'd personally be happy to see Ollie and others stay on if we look outside for a new HC, but ultimately you have to trust the new HC to select the best assistants to complement his coaching style and vision.
 
I just don't see JC retiring this summer. It may simply be that I cannot picture JC ever wanting to do anything other than coaching. I'm not sure how I would feel if JC did retire and the decision had to be made whether to hand the reigns over to KO or go with someone with head coaching experience like Shaka.

I think right now I'd prefer KO, assuming he wants the job...but its definitely close for me.
 
I think Shaka Smart is humble enough that I feel he would always be receptive to keeping UConn guys on the staff. That could be the perfect bridge from the past to the future.
 
Just to repost this from the other thread, the University of Illinois as an institution, is in a world of hurt. Not specifically the athletic department...but to say the least...the entire administration for the last 7 years has done nothing to clear its failing public image. Sure, UConn has its NCAA problems that will be cleared up soon. Illinois is fighting a downturn in applications received -- the only Big 10 school that can say that!!! -- flailing academics, and an complete mistrust with their president (who just happens to be ex-UConn president Michael Hogan). The news coming out of Illinois is not very good. I seriously would not be surprised if this tweet was completely true. I would be surprised if this tweet was trying to negotiate up a price.

Illinois might not be a bad basketball school job, but the university is toxic as hell. Honestly, if I were Shaka, I'd stay light-years away from it.
 
Well we're going to have nothing but rumors to go on, until either Smart goes to Illinois, or JC suddenly changes his mind about KO / keeping it in the family. The latter is not going to happen this year. The former may or may not happen.

Pete Thamel tweeted a link to this story from the ChiTrib:

Smart, 34, has met with Illinois, according to sources, and is mulling over the decision whether to stay at VCU, a team he guided to the Final Four last season. The often-grimy recruiting scene of Chicago is one concern that leaves Smart conflicted, sources said.

In hopes of luring Smart, Illinois has guaranteed facility renovations, a long-term contract and a salary near the top of the Big Ten. His annual compensation would be comparable to that of Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who makes more than $3 million per year according to USA Today salary reports.

Smart, who reportedly was on the road Tuesday recruiting in North Carolina for VCU, earned $1.285 million last season. His contract stipulates an $800,000 buyout if he leaves for another job before April 30.

The school that hires Smart must schedule a two-year home-and-home series with the Rams or pay them $250,000.

North Carolina State and Maryland tried to woo Smart away from VCU after last season's NCAA tournament.
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