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Shaka Watch 2015: Texas bound?

Posted at 7:00 PM, Mar 30, 2015
and last updated 2015-03-31 17:48:48-04

RICHMOND, Va. – The annual Shaka Watch has begun this year with a Texas-sized bang. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein is reporting that there ismutual interest between Virginia Commonwealth University Head Coach Shaka Smart and the University of Texas.

The Longhorns fired former coach Rick Barnes over the weekend after 17 seasons. Smart immediately became a rumored candidate before the dust even settled on the Barnes dismissal.

CBS 6’s Lane Casadonte says one of his sources has confirmed the same information. But, he adds that VCU officials say that no school has sought permission to speak to Smart.

Shaka Smart

Smart, who has been at VCU since 2009 and led the Rams to the 2011 Final Four, has turned down high profile jobs in the past, but the Texas position, according to Rothstein, “may be too good to pass up.”

Smart recently told CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish that the reason he has turned down high profile jobs in the past is due to the fact that in many cases, he is a father figure to a number of his players – something that he did not have growing up.

The CBS 6 Sports Team will continue to follow this story.

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