Marquette’s Smart named NABC National Coach of the Year

(Civic Media) – Shaka Smart, the head men’s basketball coach at Marquette University, has been named the NABC Division I National Coach of the Year, according to a release Tuesday.

The honor, which is voted on by member coaches of the NABC, comes after Smart coached Marquette to a 29-7 finish and Big East Conference titles in both the regular season and conference tournament.

Congratulations to @CoachShakaSmart on being named @NABC1927 Coach of the Year!#MUBB | #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/7ImohOatnJ

— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) March 28, 2023

The Golden Eagles were picked to finish ninth in the conference’s preseason poll.

Marquette received a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, losing in the second round to Michigan State.

Smart is in his second year at Marquette after previous head coaching stops at Texas and VCU. A native of Wisconsin, Smart has a career record of 48-20 at Marquette and 320-162 overall across his three head coaching stops. Smart was previously named the 2023 Big East Coach of the Year.