MILWAUKEE (NBC 26) — Marquette is hiring Texas coach Shaka Smart to lead its men's basketball program, according to multiple reports.
Sources: Marquette is closing in on hiring Texas' Shaka Smart as its next head basketball coach.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 26, 2021
The 43-year-old Smart spent six years at Texas, but never won an NCAA Tournament game. He previously coached Virginia Commonwealth University, leading the Rams to an unlikely Final Four run in 2011.
Smart is a Wisconsin native. He attended Oregon High School, near Madison, and had previously been linked to the Marquette job in March of 2015 before the Golden Eagles ended up going with Steve Wojciechowski. Smart took the Texas job one year later.
The Longhorns were a No. 3 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament, but were upset in the first round by No. 14 Abeline Christian. Texas did not fire Smart, but had been in the process of reviewing his job. Instead, he leaves before they got a chance to let him go.
Marquette fired Wojciechowski last week after a disappointing 13-14 season in which the Golden Eagles missed the NCAA Tournament. Wojo made only two NCAA Tournaments in his seven seasons at Marquette. The Golden Eagles were on the bubble last season before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
