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Hey Longhorns, why did Chaka Smart not work at Texas?
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:29 pm
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:29 pm
I thought that was perfect match. He has had success everywhere but Texas. What happened? I am not trolling you, I really thought that was a lock and you would be in sweet sixteen within 3 years.
Was he unable to recruit your region or something?
Was he unable to recruit your region or something?
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Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:32 pm to TutHillTiger
He couldn’t handle the unrealistic expectations in Austin
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:39 pm to ColoradoAg
Texas is traditionally a tournament team just like LSU but not a basketball powerhouse or anything
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:43 pm to ColoradoAg
quote:
He couldn’t handle the unrealistic expectations in Austin
I don't think I'd call "win a tournament game" unrealistic. He had 5 seasons to do it and failed.
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:48 pm to PerrillouxToTexas
I get it didn’t work but why
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:52 pm to TutHillTiger
The biggest talking point here is that he didn’t establish the type of play that he put on the floor at VCU, and also has done elsewhere since his departure at Texas. Havoc was not really seen here. Nobody really knows why. It’s as if the coach we hired just changed the way he coached while he was here. He always stated his recruits here were better and thus changed the way he game planned and ran the team. I’ll never really understand it.
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:55 pm to mortgageman82
I know he had Greg Brown III his last year at Texas and had him on the bench down the stretch in their tourney loss. Strange to me
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:56 pm to TutHillTiger
He actually had very good talent. Multiple first round picks during his tenure. In my view it's a parallel situation with Cal at Kentucky. Highly talented, but flawed teams lacking balance/identity, and played stupid. His last tournament loss was to Abilene Christian as a 3 seed. He knew he was going to get fired, so he took an escape pod home to Marquette.
Posted on 3/24/24 at 1:58 pm to mortgageman82
quote:
The biggest talking point here is that he didn’t establish the type of play that he put on the floor at VCU, and also has done elsewhere since his departure at Texas. Havoc was not really seen here. Nobody really knows why. It’s as if the coach we hired just changed the way he coached while he was here. He always stated his recruits here were better and thus changed the way he game planned and ran the team. I’ll never really understand it.
^ this is what I was gonna say, but maybe that is the mouthpiece we were fed..
Posted on 3/25/24 at 1:51 am to TutHillTiger
At the end, the whole George Floyd/BLM had an impact. He was a black head coach with a black roster. One of the many downfalls of Tom Herman was his reaction and participation in the aftermath, with the cry to rename the buildings and remove the statues and to drop The Eyes of Texas. Shaka saw that and was noticeably silent. He lost a first round game to Abilene Christian and decided to go back home to Wisconsin when he had the chance.
Posted on 3/25/24 at 2:54 am to TutHillTiger
From what I’ve been told his lack of success was attributed to the particular players he was told to recruit. They were NBA talent blue chip dudes but not necessarily his “system” players.
He might also be a douchebag
He might also be a douchebag
Posted on 3/25/24 at 8:31 am to pubes
quote:Sounds a bit like Billy Gillispie at Kentucky. Some coaches just can't coach blue chips. They need players with chips on their shoulder.
From what I’ve been told his lack of success was attributed to the particular players he was told to recruit. They were NBA talent blue chip dudes but not necessarily his “system” players.
He might also be a douchebag
Posted on 3/25/24 at 8:46 am to The Orange Bull
quote:
At the end, the whole George Floyd/BLM had an impact. He was a black head coach with a black roster. One of the many downfalls of Tom Herman was his reaction and participation in the aftermath, with the cry to rename the buildings and remove the statues and to drop The Eyes of Texas. Shaka saw that and was noticeably silent. He lost a first round game to Abilene Christian and decided to go back home to Wisconsin when he had the chance.
Ah yes, this is the old "Austin is to 'woke' for Texas to ever win" theory. This was really a big talking point during that time.
This replaced the previous "Austin is too big a party town for Texas to ever win" theory that preceded it.
Posted on 3/25/24 at 9:00 am to TutHillTiger
He got caught out at Hippie Hollow…and just couldn’t measure up.
Posted on 3/25/24 at 9:41 am to TutHillTiger
Similar to Anthony Grant at Alabama. He won at VCU, and now he's winning again at Dayton. But for whatever reason he struggled here.
Posted on 3/25/24 at 9:54 am to TutHillTiger
It’s the biggest head scratcher. Smart is an excellent coach with a winning style.
As another poster said he just didn’t recruit for that style at Texas and didn’t implement it.
Chris Beard was the much bigger blow of coaching losses but that of course was on him.
As another poster said he just didn’t recruit for that style at Texas and didn’t implement it.
Chris Beard was the much bigger blow of coaching losses but that of course was on him.
Posted on 3/25/24 at 11:15 am to TutHillTiger
quote:Agree with the longer versions ITT. But, short version is he never was sure of himself here & his teams played that way.
Hey Longhorns, why did Chaka Smart not work at Texas?
Posted on 3/25/24 at 12:12 pm to BevoBucks
It’s simple, the players. Maybe it was the different environment in Austin as compared with the smaller schools.
But it’s obvious that the players in Austin were not willing to commit to the havoc gameplan.
But it’s obvious that the players in Austin were not willing to commit to the havoc gameplan.
Posted on 3/25/24 at 12:16 pm to Born2rock
quote:
He got caught out at Hippie Hollow…and just couldn’t measure up.
underrated comment that most won't get 
Posted on 3/25/24 at 12:47 pm to TejasHorn
quote:Better players should have made his system better, and it didn't.
It’s the biggest head scratcher. Smart is an excellent coach with a winning style.
As another poster said he just didn’t recruit for that style at Texas and didn’t implement it.
Texas can pull in high end 1-and-done players, and they do well in the NBA. But maximizing the talent and building a strong balanced team never seemed to happen.
He always seemed to be more comfortable on the floor than in front of the camera, and perhaps the off-court issues bled into the on-court performance.
Repeatedly getting smoked in the first round would tend to make anyone uncomfortable in front of a camera.
I liked Rick Barnes, and he had similar issues; much more overall success, but could never get over the hump.
Basketball is different. An off the radar 6 man can come in off the bench and light it up and change the game. And the next thing you know, you lost.
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