Texas AD says Shaka Smart will return as basketball coach
Shaka Smart seemed to be on the hot seat for much of the 2019-20 season, but he will get a sixth season as the head coach at Texas.
Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte told Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman that Smart will remain the head coach after a 19-12 season.
“Shaka’s our coach,” Del Conte said Friday. “Nothing’s changed. We won five of the last six down the stretch, finished third in the conference. We have a good team coming back. Nothing’s changed on my end.”
This may come as a bit of a surprise. Smart has never won an NCAA Tournament game with the Longhorns and has just one season with a winning record in Big 12 play. His 90-78 record is underwhelming at a school with Texas’ expectations, and his 40-50 record in conference play is even moreso.
Former Longhorns have been disappointed with the direction of the program under Smart, but Del Conte does not share their concerns. Smart will get at least one more year at the helm.
