RICHMOND, Va. – As the small plane carrying Shaka Smart, his wife and young daughter took off from the Chesterfield County airport bound for the University of Texas Friday, VCU released Smart's first public statement since he resigned as the school men’s basketball coach.
"It has been an extraordinary honor to be your head coach for the past six years," Smart said. "I’m extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to build on the tradition of VCU Basketball. I want to express my deep gratitude for all VCU players, past and present, our coaching staff and all the people that have worked tirelessly to support our program."
Smart won 163 games during his six years at VCU. That is the second-most by any Division I head coach in the first six years of their career, according to the university.
"We will remember Shaka's success on the court and with our student-athletes forever, but more importantly, he has helped to create a level of sustainable success on an elite level nationally," Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin said. "I speak for our entire department in thanking him and his staff for everything they have done for our student-athletes and VCU. We wish him well in Austin."
Smart cemented his place in VCU, and college-basketball history, when he led the underdog Rams to the 2011 Final Four. His success and HAVOC-style basketball helped to create an electric atmosphere in a regularly sold-out Siegel Center.
"I also want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the VCU students, alumni, the Peppas and our phenomenal fans that make the Siegel Center such an unbelievable place to play and coach," he said. "The ascendance of the VCU program has been and will continue to be about a special group of people both within and outside the immediate team that make VCU Basketball extremely unique. This program’s future is extremely bright. The best is yet to come."
The search for VCU's next basketball coach is now underway.
"We will search for our next men’s basketball coach with full confidence that we will attract nationally renowned candidates who will ensure that we continue to perform among the nation’s elite programs," VCU President Michael Rao said in a statement. "VCU is on the rise and offers a rare opportunity to win big, win often and win now – and continue to do so in a first-class way."
