Marquette inks Smart to 6-year extension

Marquette signed head coach Shaka Smart to a six-year contract extension through the 2029-2030 campaign, school vice president and director of athletics Bill Scholl announced Tuesday.

"In a very short period of time, Shaka and his staff have done a tremendous job of establishing a winning culture, both on and off the court," Scholl said in a statement. "Shaka's vision for the program is focused on extended, sustainable success.

"The individuals who interact with the team on a daily basis are able to observe frequent examples of growth, and the excitement around the program is contagious."

Smart has registered a 48-20 mark since his arrival from Texas two years ago. The Wisconsin native had a memorable 2022-23 campaign, winning AP Coach of the Year honors and leading the Golden Eagles to their first-ever Big East Tournament crown. Marquette also tallied a program-record 29 wins and finished sixth in the final AP poll.

Smart is best remembered for guiding 11th-seeded VCU to the 2011 Final Four. He had six consecutive seasons of 26-plus wins before taking the Texas job.

However, Smart couldn't replicate the same success with the Longhorns, failing to win a single NCAA Tournament game in three March Madness appearances.