The University of Texas will be looking for a new men’s basketball coach, after Shaka Smart left that position with the Longhorns to accept the same spot at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The hiring was announced by Marquette, a Big East Conference school, on Friday morning. Just one week earlier, the Golden Eagles had fired head coach Steve Wojciechowski, with Smart’s Texas team losing to in-state foe Abilene Christian 53-52 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
While on face-value, the move from money-rich Texas to Marquette may be considered a head scratcher, Smart’s history with the state of Wisconsin brings clarity to the decision. Smart went to high school in Oregon, Wisconsin, a suburb of Madison. He spent six seasons with Texas after a successful six-year run at VCU, including a Final Four appearance in 2011. Smart’s 2020-2021 Texas team did find greater success, including a Big 12 Tournament championship, the first ever for the school, earlier this month in Kansas City.