Shaka Smart named to Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year late season watch list
ATLANTA, Ga. — University of Texas men's basketball head coach Shaka Smart is one of 15 candidates for the 2021 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's Coach of the Year late season watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Friday. The award annually honors the National Coach of the Year in college basketball.
Smart has led the Longhorns to a 13-5 overall record, including a 7-4 mark against Big 12 opponents. Included among UT’s victories are an 84-59 upset over then-No. 3/4 Kansas, a narrow 72-70 victory at then-No. 14/16 West Virginia and neutral-site wins against then-No. 14/16 North Carolina (69-67) and Indiana (66-44).
The Longhorns are ranked No. 12 by the Associated Press, having climbed as high as No. 4 in the AP poll in early January.
Smart is one of four Big 12 coaches named to the list, which also includes Baylor’s Scott Drew, West Virginia’s Bob Huggins and Oklahoma’s Lon Kruger.
UT will return to the court Saturday in a 2 p.m. home rematch against the Mountaineers, who now are ranked No. 13/15, at the Frank Erwin Center. The game will be carried on ABC.
Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year late season watch list
(Coach / school)
Casey Alexander / Belmont
Darian DeVries / Drake
Scott Drew / Baylor
Andy Enfield / USC
Mark Few / Gonzaga
Leonard Hamilton / Florida State
Chris Holtmann / Ohio State
Juwan Howard / Michigan
Bob Huggins / West Virginia
Lon Kruger / Oklahoma
Porter Moser / Loyola-Chicago
Nat Oats / Alabama
Kelvin Sampson / Houston
Shaka Smart / Texas
Mike Young / Virginia Tech
