Sports World Reacts To The Shaka Smart Announcement

© Andy Lyons/Getty Images COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 19: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half in the second round game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 19, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Andy Lyons/Getty Images

In just two short years at Marquette, head coach Shaka Smart has returned the Golden Eagles to being one of the top teams in the Big East. Now, he's getting rewarded for it in a big way.

On Friday, Smart was named the Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year, one of the most prestigious distinctions in all of college sports. It's third national award he's received this year for the job he did with Marquette this past year, on top of the Big East Coach of the Year honors he earned several weeks ago.

Smart led the Golden Eagles to their first Big East regular season title in 10 years and their first Big East Tournament title in over 25 years before leading them to an NCAA Tournament win over Vermont in the First Round. Marquette finished with a 29-7 record - the most wins in school history.

Fans of Marquette were thrilled to see that their head coach won the AP Coach of the Year award, while fans of other teams were upset to see that other top candidates like Rodney Terry, Jerome Tang and Dusty May didn't win despite enjoying deeper NCAA Tournament runs:

When Shaka Smart parted ways with Texas in 2021, many believed that he had simply overachieved in his previous stops and couldn't be an elite coach at a top program. 

But Smart quickly proved his doubters wrong, leading the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Tournament in his first year at the helm and delivering them their first March Madness win in a decade this past season.

The future looks bright for Smart and Marquette.