NCAA: Former Cal U assistant coach Shaka Smart named head coach of VCU

Former California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball assistant coach and 2001 graduate Shaka Smart has been named named head men's basketball coach at Division I Virginia Commonwealth University.

Smart inherits a VCU program that has made two NCAA Tournament appearances in the last three years and won three conference tournament tiles since 2004.

The Rams finished the 2008-09 season with a 24-10 overall record after losing to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Smart served on the Vulcan coaching staff under head coach Bill Brown from 1999-2001. During his time with Cal U, Brown and Smart guided the program to a 40-16 overall record and a tie of the PSAC West title in 2000.

"Shaka had a feel of the game and he has made great decisions in life to get to where he is," said Brown, the all-time winningest coach in Cal U history. "He is a tremendous role model and I know Cal is a dear place to him since it is the place he started coaching."