Shaka Smart

“It’s an incredible honor to once again have the opportunity to coach some of the finest young players in the country and represent the United States in a national competition,” Smart said. “I’m very humbled to once again be asked to participate.

“I think our personalities fit together really well,” Smart said of the 2013 USA U19 coaching staff. We all understand and want to be a part of something bigger than any part of us. That’s something that I’ve always been impressed about with Billy as successful as he’s been; all he cares about is the team that he’s a part of and winning. And Mark is such a terrific competitor and has such a way with the players that he’s invaluable to the staff. I just try to bring some youthful energy. Those guys are the guys that have won hundreds of games. I also try to bring a level of focus to the defensive end that compliments their knowledge on the offensive side.”

Smart embarks on his third stint with USA Basketball in 2013. Previously, he helped the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team to a gold medal in 2012, and he served as a court coach during the 2011 USA Basketball Men’s World University Games Team training camp.

In three seasons at VCU, Smart has compiled an 84-28 record (.750 winning percentage), capturing the College Basketball Invitational title in 2010 and advancing the NCAA Final Four in 2011. In three postseason campaigns, he is 11-2.

In 2011-12 Smart led VCU to a 29-7 season, capturing the 2012 Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Title and setting a school record for wins after downing Wichita State University in the NCAA Tournament before falling to the University of Indiana.

Midway through 2012-13, Smart and his Rams are 18-5 (as of Feb. 7, 2012).

Just 36 years old, Smart is one of college basketball’s 10 youngest Division I coaches.

In his first year at VCU, Smart led the Rams to a 27-9 record, followed by a 28-12 finish in his sophomore campaign, including a memorable run to the 2011 NCAA Final Four.

Prior to 2011, no VCU team had ever won more than one game in the NCAA Tournament. Smart’s 2010-11 squad won five, captivating the nation as it became just the third No. 11 seed to ever advance to the national semifinals. The Rams finished the season ranked No. 6 in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest national ranking ever by a Colonial Athletic Association member.

Smart’s coaching career includes stints with Donovan’s staff at the University of Florida and Oliver Purnell at Clemson University.

In Gainesville, Smart spent the 2008-09 season with the Gators, helping lead the program to a 25-11 record and the NIT quarterfinals.

In a pair of seasons at Clemson (2006-07 and 2007-08), Smart helped coach the Tigers to 49 wins and back-to-back postseason appearances, including an NIT championship game appearance in 2007 and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2008.

Smart also spent three seasons as an assistant at the University of Akron (2003-04 to 2005-06), two years as director of basketball operations at the University of Dayton (2001-02 to 2002-03) and two seasons right out of college at California University of Pennsylvania (1999-00 and 2000-01).

The successful coach played basketball at Kenyon College, and graduated magna cum laude in 1999 with a degree in history. A four-year starter and three-year captain, he holds Kenyon single-season (184) and career (542) assist marks. As a senior in 1998-99, he was an All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) selection and was the NCAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was one of 20 students selected for the 1999 USA Today All-USA Academic team and received a NCAA postgraduate scholarship.

He earned a master’s in social science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2001.