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NCAA basketball: Top 25 highest-paid college basketball coaches for 2020

By Cody Williams

Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks with John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks with John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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College basketball (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

19. Shaka Smart, Texas

Salary: $3,300,989 | Buyout: $10.5 million

Though Shaka Smart spent a total of six years as an assistant coach with stints at Akron, Clemson and Florida, he took the head coaching job with the VCU Rams prior to the 2009-10 season. And it was with the mid-major program that he patrolled the sidelines and made a name for himself in the coaching ranks.

After a 27-9 first season at VCU and a trip to the CBI, which the Rams won under Smart’s watch, it was the 2010-11 season when Smart garnered a ton of national attention. After finishing fourth in the CAA in the regular season, they still made their way to the NCAA Tournament. The Rams then went on one of the most notable Cinderella runs in modern history, making it to the Final Four.

Smart never won fewer than 26 games in his six seasons at VCU. But despite the fact that he was a hot coaching candidate at bigger programs for some time, it wasn’t until 2015 that he was finally lured away, heading to the Texas Longhorns.

Unfortunately, Smart has not been able to replicate his success at VCU since arriving in Austin. The Longhorns have topped out at 21 wins in his five seasons with the program and made the NCAA Tournament just twice in the four years prior to March Madness being canceled. He’ll likely be on the hot seat in the 2020-21 season with Texas.