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Shaka Smart completed his first year as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the men's basketball team at Clemson in 2006-07. At 30 years of age, Smart is one of, if not the, youngest assistants in the ACC. However, the 2006-07 season marked his fourth year as a Division I assistant coach.
Smart put together a solid recruiting class in his first year with the Tiger basketball program. Each of the three signees for the class of 2007-08 is ranked among the top 150 incoming freshman by at least one recruiting service. In addition, point guard Demontez Stitt earned Mr. Basketball honors in the state of North Carolina. Jerai Grant and Terrence Oglesby both participated in the prestigious Capital Classic in Washington, DC, with Oglesby earning All-Tournament honors at the event.
This is actually the second time Smart has been hired at Clemson by Head Coach Oliver Purnell. He first came with Purnell from Dayton to Clemson in 2003 as the director of basketball operations. But, in June of 2003, Smart accepted the coaching position at Akron.
"We are very pleased to have Shaka Smart return to Clemson," Purnell said when announcing his hire in 2006. "Shaka worked with our program at Dayton and he made a big impact on our final two seasons. In his three years at Akron he was a major reason the program made significant improvements. They won 23 games in 2005-06 and we saw first hand the strength of that program because we had a very competitive game with them in Puerto Rico (66-59 Clemson win at the 2005 San Juan Shootout). Shaka is a terrific young coach and we are very excited he has decided to return to Clemson."
Smart had a positive effect on Clemson's program in his first year, helping the Tigers to a 25-11 overall record and a run to the finals of the NIT. The overall victory total and 17-0 start tied 20-year old Clemson records. Clemson finished in the top 40 of both the Sagarin and RPI computer ratings for the first time in nine years and appeared in the top 25 of the USA Today coaches' poll for eight consecutive weeks.
Akron finished the 2005-06 season with a 23-10 record, its highest victory total since it became a Division I program in 1980-81, and the most by any Akron team since 1971-72. The Zips posted a 14-4 record in the MAC, their highest conference victory total in one season in history, and advanced to the second round of the NIT. It was Akron's first postseason bid in 17 years and the opening round NIT victory over Temple that ended John Chaney's coaching career, was the first Division I postseason win in school history. Akron had a 42-20 overall record under head coach Keith Dambrot, including a 25-11 league record in the two seasons Smart served on his staff.
"Shaka is one of the best young coaches in the country," Dambrot said. "He has unbelievable work ethic, great recruiting expertise, and had great rapport with our players. I'm excited for his opportunity, but sad to lose someone with such great ability and who I feel as close to as a family member."
Smart worked at Dayton for Purnell for two seasons as director of basketball operations, the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. In those two seasons, the Flyers posted a 45-17 record and won the 2003 Atlantic 10 Championship. The squad had a 24-6 record in 2002-03 when it played in the NCAA Tournament, and had a 21-11 mark in 2001-02. The Flyers competed in the NIT that year.
Prior to his time at Dayton and immediately after graduating from college, Smart served as an assistant coach at California University of Pennsylvania. The school had a 40-16 combined record for those two seasons. While he worked at California (PA), Smart earned his master's degree in social science.
Smart played his college 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 the Kenyon assist record for a season (184) and a career (542). As a senior, he was an All-North Coast Conference selection and was the NCAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was one of 20 student-athletes selected for the 1999 USA Today All-USA Academic team and received a NCAA postgraduate scholarship.
Originally hailing from Madison, WI, Smart married the former Maya Payne on May 20, 2006.
