Shaka Smart staying at VCU, per CBS

• gorocks99

  

  http://gregg-doyel.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/5881996/28267847
  

  HOUSTON -- Shaka Smart of VCU will stay at VCU and not cash in on his instant superstardom, a source in Richmond told me a minute ago.
  
  For the 33-year-old Smart (55-21 in two years at VCU), it caps a whirlwind three weeks that saw him go from relative anonymity to rising star to the hottest commodity on this spring's coaching market.
  
  Smart had talked to N.C. State on Sunday night and Monday morning. A formal offer was never extended, but that could be a formality. That information is beyond my pay grade.

• jordo212000

  

  NC State would be a good job for him. These guys need to leap at the opportunity when they get it! Don't want to be the next Greg Schiano and completely overplay their hand
• SportsAndLady

  

  I'd put a lot of money on him leaving VCU..there's just no point. Take a better job.
• Prescott

  Do you remember when Chris Lowery was the 'Hot" coach?
• vball10set

  jordo212000;732376 wrote:NC State would be a good job for him. These guys need to leap at the opportunity when they get it! Don't want to be the next Greg Schiano and completely overplay their hand

  
  before I even opened the thread I was thinking the same thing...gotta' strike while the iron's hot, Shaka- you've got a young family (wife preggers with first child) to think about
• swamisez

  

  Apparently the money VCU is going to offer will keep him there for a while.
  
  Does anyone want to coach the Wolfpack?
• thavoice

  Good for him. I applaud for someone who doesnt instantly jump ship.
  
  
  BUT......sometimes ya gotta strike while the iron is hot. He could do a better job coaching next year, or the season after, and things not fall their way and his stock as a coach plummet. Next, or two years, he could be a better coach yet not get the type of offers he would get now just because of not being as fortunate as they have been this year in making it to the FF.
  
  Told that to my brother a few years ago about a browns OC...think maybe Chud....I forget. browns offense was pretty good, he was getting named as an up and comer, possible candidates for HC jobs but he didnt take any. He stuck around and didnt take advantage of when he was hot. He very well could have done a better job of coaching and scheme and playcalling that next year but things such as injuries, poor players, etc made him look not as good and his flame burnt out.
  
  Gotta take advantage of when the iron is hot.
• sleeper

  

  He's only saying this to gain leverage, he'll be coaching someplace else in a few weeks.
• vball10set

  vball10set;732394 wrote:before I even opened the thread I was thinking the same thing...gotta' strike while the iron's hot, Shaka- you've got a young family (wife preggers with first child) to think about

  thavoice;732428 wrote:Good for him. I applaud for someone who doesnt instantly jump ship.
  
  
  BUT......sometimes ya gotta strike while the iron is hot. He could do a better job coaching next year, or the season after, and things not fall their way and his stock as a coach plummet. Next, or two years, he could be a better coach yet not get the type of offers he would get now just because of not being as fortunate as they have been this year in making it to the FF.
  
  Told that to my brother a few years ago about a browns OC...think maybe Chud....I forget. browns offense was pretty good, he was getting named as an up and comer, possible candidates for HC jobs but he didnt take any. He stuck around and didnt take advantage of when he was hot. He very well could have done a better job of coaching and scheme and playcalling that next year but things such as injuries, poor players, etc made him look not as good and his flame burnt out.
  
  Gotta take advantage of when the iron is hot.

  we got a recurring theme going on here
• thavoice

  Ha.
  
  Sorry...I didnt even read your or other thoughts.
  
  It goes against what I truly believe though because I HATE the bouncing around of coaches in the college ranks, but ya gotta take advantage of the breaks ya get and if he doesnt take advantage now I think that in a few years around all he will bbe is still a young coach with a coooool name.
• centralbucksfan

  Maybe he just doesn't want to, and he is happy with where he is at, and what is is doing. This is a guy who could have gone to Princeton or Harvard. Yet chose Kenyon college. This is a guy professors were begging to become just that, a professor. Yet he wanted to coach basketball. Not sure he fits the norm of a guy who wants to strike the iron when its hot.
• thavoice

  Its true.
  
  Also he may end up getting a better gig by staying.
  
  That is def true, and he may also just want to stay.
  
  All is def true.
• wkfan

  Not advocating that he leave....but his stock will never be higher than it is right now.
• gorocks99

  

  ESPN is on the story now as well, sounds nearly official that he's staying at VCU:
  
  http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6290035
• vball10set

  thavoice;732451 wrote:Ha.
  
  Sorry...I didnt even read your or other thoughts.

  
  that's okay--my wife doesn't either
• vball10set

  wkfan;732470 wrote:Not advocating that he leave....but his stock will never be higher than it is right now.

  
  exactly
• wildcats20

  

  Not advocating that he leave....but his stock will never be higher than it is right now.

  People said the same thing about Brad Stevens after last year.
• wkfan

  wildcats20;732484 wrote:People said the same thing about Brad Stevens after last year.

  So you think this is the beginning of a trend for VCU?
• wildcats20

  

  People said the same thing about Brad Stevens after last year.

  
  
  So you think this is the beginning of a trend for VCU?

  It could be. The dude can flat out coach. It just depends if he can get players to come to Richmond.
• thavoice

  vball10set;732479 wrote:that's okay--my wife doesn't either

  
  Your wife must have s sister...and I married her
• SportsAndLady

  

  Call me not sold on him staying at VCU.
  
  Sorry, but NC State isn't a great school to coach at. Seriously, what have they done lately? They're the 3rd team in that market, have to play UNC and Duke twice a year...not a very desirable place if you ask me.
  
  He'll wait for a better offer and bolt.
• SportsAndLady

  

  And another thing...remember, Shake wasn't even supposed to be in this year's tournament! We would have never heard of him if the committee puts VCU on the outside lookin in, like they should have. He was in the CBI last year...Yes, he's done a great job in the tournament, but he's doing this with Anthony Grant's recruits.
  
  This isn't like Stevens; Stevens has been in back to back championship games, he can afford to wait for a blue blood position to open and take that. Shaka has another CBI/NIT year next year (and lookin at their roster, it's a decent possibility), he isn't going to get a great coaching position based off one tournament run.
  
  What I think he'll do, is after UCONN wins the tourney, he'll take over for Calhoun next year.
• se-alum

  

  I don't think there's a job that is that much better than what he has now. The worst jobs are the middle of the road jobs. More pressure and less chance of success at NC State. If a top tier program(UCONN) came open, he might change his mind.
• thavoice

  I think it is hard to guage a coach at the college level when he using previous coach recruits.
  
  We all know CBB is so much about the recruiting. Ya dont wanna hire guys like Randy Ayers (gary williams) and Mike (the black butthead) Davis (Knight) who win with guys someone else recruited.
  
  I see Davis and UAB made the nCAA this year...to the dismay of some of the pundits but I still think he is not a very good coach.
• centralbucksfan

  wildcats20;732509 wrote:It could be. The dude can flat out coach. It just depends if he can get players to come to Richmond.

  
  He can flat out coach? Your determining that by? Yes, his team made a nice run. They got hot. That doesn't mean he is the next coming of Bob Knight. We'll see how he does as time goes on. Doing it one year has been done by a number of coaches over the years. One year doesn't determine greatness.