Was Shaka Smart Fired by Texas?

min read
Shaka Smart left Texas for Marquette after a quick exit at Texas in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Chase Kiddy @chaseakiddy Mar 27, 2024, 4:40 PM

No, Shaka Smart was not fired by Texas. Following his sixth year as head coach of the Longhorns, Smart elected to leave Austin to take the job as head coach of Marquette.

That doesn’t mean everything was rosy between Smart and the University of Texas, though. Rumors persisted for years that Smart was butting heads with the sprawling sports and booster infrastructure that surrounded the Longhorns. 

That potential conflict probably wasn’t helped by Smart’s 0-3 record in the NCAA Tournament while head coach at Texas. The 2021 season ended when No. 3 seed Texas lost to No. 14 seed Abilene Christian in the first round.

Smart left Austin to take the head coach job at Marquette a few days later.

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About the Author

Chase Kiddy

Read More @chaseakiddy

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.