Markvet and Shaka Smart have reached an agreement in principle to handle the current Texas coach’s job with the Golden Eagles, a source told CBS Sports’ Gary Parish. Smart is a Wisconsin native who is facing increasing scrutiny due to his lack of postseason success in Texas.
The Big 12 has 109-86 smart overall in Texas with 52-56 marks and no NCAA tournament wins. The No. 3 seed was Longhorn Upset in the first round Of this year’s NCAA Tournament by 14-year-old ranked Abel Christian.
In Marquette, Smart will replace Steve Wojciechowski, who was fired after seven seasons on the job this month. Wojciechowski also failed to advance from the first round of the NCAA Tournament during two appearances with the Golden Eagles in 2017 and 2019.
Rival Oklahoma saw coach O’Neill Kruger announce his retirement on Thursday after rival Oklahoma left two of the Big 12’s most popular programs in search of a new coach.
While making the change for Smart may seem like a side move to some, but it will free him from near-constant scrutiny and allow him to return to his home state. Smart Madison is from Wisconsin.
Taken in 2015 to replace longtime Texas coach Rick Barnes, Smart was considered a rising star at the time because of his success during his six-year tenure at VCU.
Although the Longhorns won the 2021 Big 12 tournament, they generally struggled in the postseason under Smart. With five star freshman forward Greg Brown and the P te group of guards on the roster, the 2020-21 season was considered a progressive year. But Abilene Christian scored a season-low 52 points in an upset loss, which is yet another bitter end.
