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VCU Tabs Florida Assistant For Head Coaching Job

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By HANK KURZ Jr.

The Associated Press

Published: March 31, 2009

RICHMOND, Va. - A Virginia Commonwealth University official says the school has picked Florida assistant coach Shaka Smart to be its new men's basketball coach.

The official familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that Smart has not yet signed a contract, but an announcement is planned for Thursday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has yet to be made.

The 32-year-old Smart was an assistant to Billy Donovan at Florida last season and will become the second consecutive Donovan assistant to take over as the Rams' head coach.

Anthony Grant, Donovan's right-hand man for 10 years at Florida, spent the last three seasons as VCU's head coach, compiling a 76-25 record and leading the Rams to two NCAA tournament appearances as champions of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

Grant, 42, was hired last week to rebuild Alabama's basketball program.

At VCU, Smart will inherit a team that is expected to have everyone back except for point guard Eric Maynor, who was named an honorable mention AP All-American on Monday. Maynor averaged 22.4 points and this season became the Rams' career scoring and assists leader.

Smart has never been a head coach, but joined Donovan's staff after two seasons at Clemson. Before that, he worked as an assistant at Akron for three years, Dayton for two and at California of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a masters' degree in social science.

During his playing career, Smart was a point guard and captain at Kenyon College in Ohio for three years and graduated in 1999 as the school's career assists leader with 542.

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