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Texas basketball: It’s long overdue for Shaka Smart to be fired

By Brandon Jefferson

AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Texas Longhorns reacts as his team plays the Oklahoma State Cowboys at The Frank Erwin Center on February 16, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Texas Longhorns reacts as his team plays the Oklahoma State Cowboys at The Frank Erwin Center on February 16, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
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Shaka Smart was once a rising star in the coaching ranks but midway through his fifth season with the Texas Longhorns, the luster has worn off.

Shaka Smart just isn’t working out at Texas and it’s time for a change.

Texas basketball program was coming off of 17 seasons with Rick Barnes in charge and they knew a change was needed. Through no fault of the coach, things had grown stale in Austin. Fans knew what the outcome of each season would be before it began. They’d finish with a win total in the mid-20s, they would be among the middle of the pack in the Big 12 standings and they wouldn’t last past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

The school thought the program needed new leadership, new life and energy pumped into it and so after letting Barnes go, they found exactly that in former Virginia Commonwealth head coach, Shaka Smart.

In six seasons he had at least 26 games each year, oversaw the team’s transition from the Colonial Athletic Association into the Atlantic-10 and made his “Havoc” style of pressure defense a household name.

Securing a name that was sought after by several big programs (Illinois, North Carolina State and UCLA) was a huge win for Texas basketball after moving on from Barnes. Smart had managed to take VCU to a Final Four in 2011, something Barnes had only accomplished once (2002-03) at Texas.

After surprising many with a 20-win season in his first year on the job, it looked like Smart was the right man to revamp things in Austin. However, each season since has been a letdown. Recruiting wise, Smart was able to bring in future lottery picks in Mo Bamba and Jaxson Hayes but neither team with either future pro finished with a winning record in conference play.

Texas didn’t bring Smart in to win NIT championships, he was supposed to bring Big 12 titles and survive-and-advance through March Madness. Yet, in the team’s two trips to the NCAA Tournament under Smart, they haven’t even made it out of the Round of 64 once.

One reason why this pairing hasn’t produced the results many expected is that this isn’t the same Smart from VCU. The “Havoc” was left behind. In his last four years with the Rams, Smart’s team ranked second, first (twice) and 10th in turnovers forced and first (twice) and third (twice) in turnover margin.

Despite less talent, those teams had an identity and played to it beautifully. At Texas, his teams haven’t been among the top 150 in turnovers forced and haven’t finished higher than 49th in turnover margin.

Ironically, things all came to a head against West Virginia on Monday night.

The Mountaineers completely dismantled Smart’s team to the tune of 97-59, the worst loss of the Smart era at Texas and fifth-worst in the university’s history.

Under Bob Huggins, West Virginia has been known for relentless pressure defense and a full-court press that thrives off forcing turnovers. The two things Smart was supposed to bring to Austin.

“Havoc” never got off the ground for Texas. There’s still $10.5 million guaranteed on a contract that runs through 2022-23. However, Texas isn’t wanting for money. Both sides need to move on because this marriage isn’t working.

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