Post Capel, would Castiglione risk poaching VCU again?
Published: 3/28/2011 10:37 AM
Last Modified: 3/28/2011 10:37 AM
Shaka Fever has reached Norman.
Oklahoma fans see what VCU did to Kansas Sunday, partly because loose, cool Shaka Smart coached circles around tight, sweaty Bill Self.
They see that even though Smart has the Rams in the Final Four, he has absolutely priced himself out of their market (his base salary is $325,000). He is in Joe Castiglione's market, however.
They see that momentum appears to favor Buzz Williams re-signing with Marquette. They don't see a lot of quality Plan Bs out there. So why not the hottest coach in the country, at least this side of Brad Stevens?
Why not Shaka Smart?
To that, I'd answer: Because it doesn't seem feasible for Castiglione to entrust his wheezing basketball program to a mid-major coach. He took that chance five years ago. He's literally paying for that now.
The challenge facing OU's next coach includes back-to-back losing seasons, a thinned talent base, and an NCAA investigation that could lead to NCAA sanctions. That's three formidable strikes facing even a veteran high-major coach.
Smart will turn 34 April 8. That makes him three years older than Capel when Castiglione hired him five years ago. He's had two years of head coaching experience. Period. VCU went 27-9 and won the College Basketball Invitational last year, before working miracles at present.
Smart was an assistant under Billy Donovan for one year at Florida before the Rams hired him. Before Florida, he was an assistant under Oliver Purnell for two years at Clemson. Before Clemson, he was an assistant under Keith Dambrot for three years at Akron.
Capel, by comparison, had four years of head coaching experience – all at VCU – before taking over the Sooners. He'd been a VCU assistant for one year, and an Old Dominion assistant for one year.
Smart's trump card, of course, is what's happening right now. Or maybe it's what has happened over his last two postseasons.
Consider this: VCU went 5-0 in winning the CBI last year. The Rams are 5-0 in the NCAA. That makes Smart 10-0 all-time in the postseason. And that is absurd, no matter where he's coaching.
He's obviously a bright guy. He graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon College, a small liberal arts school in Ohio. My sister went to Kenyon. Trust me. They take their academics very seriously.
Smart earned his master's at California (Pa.) Univ, while serving as an assistant coach from 1999-2001. This was right after he graduated from Kenyon, where he was also a four-year starting point guard.
This is Capel's trump card, since we're still comparing the two. He, too, majored in history. He, too, is extremely bright. But he was a four-year starting point guard at Duke.
I don't necessarily think Castiglione is comparing the two, mostly because I have a hard time believing Castiglione is considering Smart. I have a hard time believing Castiglione is considering anyone he isn't 100 percent sure can steer OU back in the right direction. That eliminates every mid-major coach I know of.
Just to be safe, though, check back in if (when?) Williams re-ups at Marquette.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
