VCU hopes to have restructured deal for Shaka Smart by end of week
Shaka Smart is working on a restructured deal to remain at VCU. (Gregory Shamus/Getty
Shaka Smart is likely to remain as head coach of the men's basketball team at Virginia Commonwealth University and the two sides could have a restructured deal in place by the end of the weak, reports Nicole Auerbach of USA Today Sports.
School officials have been in discussions with Smart ever since their season ended Saturday in a round-of-32 loss to Michigan. Part of their incentive to reach a deal as soon as possible is to avoid rumors that might pop-up of Smart leaving to fill recent vacancies at either UCLA or Minnesota. According to USA Today Sports, both schools have already reached out to Smart to see if he's interested in leaving VCU.
Smart signed an eight-year contract extension after leading the Rams to an improbable Final Four appearance in 2011. The deal increased his pay from approximately $420,000 per year to $1.2 million while also giving him larger traveling and recruiting budgets.
Smart said that if he left VCU, he might be looked at as selfish, but he needs to do what's best for his family. That said, Smart added in the report from USA Today Sports that "it just so happens" he and his family feel at home at VCU:
"The media can sometimes oversimplify these types of things and say that if someone leaves, they're all of the sudden greedy or selfish or they're in it for themselves or the money. If they stay, they're a great person or whatever. Just like me, you or anyone in a job, they're going to do what's best for them and their family. Be somewhere where their family is happy and where you're valued or appreciated. It just so happens that for me, I feel that way about VCU."
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