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5 College coaching candidates for the Phoenix Suns

By Khaleel Abdullah

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates with his team after the 85-77 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates with his team after the 85-77 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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AMES, IA – FEBRUARY 2: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Texas Longhorns coaches from the bench in the first half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 2, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 65-60 over the Texas Longhorns. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA – FEBRUARY 2: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Texas Longhorns coaches from the bench in the first half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 2, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 65-60 over the Texas Longhorns. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /

#3 – Shaka Smart of Texas

Well, I mean first off his first name is Shaka and his last name is Smart. It just has a certain ring to it, doesn’t it? I think he could lead the Suns to “shock-a” team or two with “smart” plays.

He’s one of the youngest coaches on this list, at 42-years-old, which is just 4 years older than James Jones, the newly promoted general manager for the Suns. So, if it works out, they could work as a duo for many years to come.

Smart has only been the head coach at Texas for 4 seasons now. Texas has combined for 71 wins and a .518 record over that time. That doesn’t stand out as much as these other guys and isn’t quite at the level you would like it to be.

However, he’s only had a single losing season. The other three seasons feature two berths in the NCAA tournament and an NIT Championship this past season.

Also, before coming to Texas he was the head coach at VCU, where he coached 6 seasons and averaged about 27 wins per season with a .744 winning percentage. He led the Rams to 5 NCAA tournament berths in his 6 seasons, only missing out in his first at the helm.

However, in his first season he led the team to the CBI Championship and the very next season, his second, he led them to the Final Four in March Madness.

Why would he come coach the Phoenix Suns?

Well, he has a pattern of moving to a different pasture every 5 or 6 seasons and it’s about that time. All jokes aside, I’m sure he could see the fun he could have leading this Suns team.

Smart’s teams play a fast style of ball known as “havoc”. During his introductory press conference he described his philosophy.

"“We are going to wreak havoc on our opponent’s psyche and their plan of attack.”"

That doesn’t just go for the offensive end, either. His defensive mind is clearly seen through heavy emphasis on the full court press and pressing after his offense scores to disrupt opponent’s and not letting them get into their offense.

That defense helped VCU consistently maintain one of the most efficient and annoying defenses in the nation. They ranked 1st nationally in both turnovers and steals forced per possession from 2011-14.

Shaka, at the very least deserves an interview. It would be interesting to see how he sees his fit on this team. Don’t let the other team get into their offense while the Suns enjoy theirs. I have a feeling he would make this team so fun to watch.

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