First-year Marquette head coach Shaka Smart has announced the initial additions to his coaching staff, welcoming four individuals to the program officially on Friday morning.

Joining Smart from his most recent stop at Texas are assistant coaches Neill Berry and Cody Hatt, as well as Nevada Smith, who will serve as special assistant to the head coach.  Also joining the Golden Eagles as an assistant coach is DeAndre Haynes, who most recently held the same position at Maryland.

“This has a chance to be as good a staff as I’ve worked with,” Smart said.  “I am really excited about each coach’s fit with each other and the way they’ll dedicate themselves to our current and future players.  Each brings a unique skill set to the program, but what they share is a commitment to relationships, growth and what goes into winning.

“Staff chemistry is extremely important to team cohesion,” Smart added.  “DeAndre, Neill, Cody and Nevada are all committed to working together to create team success and support our guys in every way possible.”

Berry arrives in Milwaukee after most recently spending three seasons (2018-21) as an assistant coach under Smart at Texas.  Berry owns over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I level, including 12 as an assistant coach. Berry helped coordinate the recruitment of multiple top-ranked players to Texas, including consensus top-10 national recruit Greg Brown in 2020. Brown claimed a spot in the McDonald’s All-American game.

“My family and I are beyond grateful for this opportunity to join Coach Smart’s staff,” Berry said.  “I have grown tremendously as a coach under his guidance the past three years. His passion for helping young men grow and develop is unmatched and I am very thankful for this opportunity and excited to help him build this program at Marquette!”

Hatt served under Smart for six seasons at Texas, most recently as an assistant coach (2020-21).  He was the director of basketball operations for the four years (2016-20) previous and worked as a special assistant in 2015-16.  During Hatt’s tenure alongside Smart on the Texas staff, the Longhorns compiled a 109-86 (.559) mark and advanced to a trio of NCAA Tournament appearances (2016, 2018 and 2021) while also winning the 2019 National Invitation Tournament Championship. 

“It’s an absolute honor to be here at Marquette with Coach Smart and serve such a special program,” Hatt said.  “We’re hungry, excited and here to win.  It’s time to work!”

Haynes joins the Golden Eagles after working most recently under Mark Turgeon for two seasons (2019-21) at the University of Maryland.  In a total of four years in the Big Ten Conference with the Terps and Michigan (2017-19), Haynes was a member of three NCAA tournament teams (2019-20 postseason was cancelled), including a Final Four appearance in 2017-18.  He was also a member of Big Ten Championship and Big Ten Tournament Championship team with the Wolverines.

“I am extremely excited to be joining Marquette University with my family and can’t wait to get started,” Haynes said.  “The opportunity to work for Shaka Smart is a blessing and I’m looking forward to joining the rest of the staff as we work toward building success, both on and off the court.”

Smith arrives in Milwaukee after serving one season on Smart’s staff as Director of Program Development. In 2020-21, highlights for the Longhorns included the program’s first-ever Big 12 Championship title, a top-five national ranking during the regular season and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Prior to Texas, Smith served as the head coach of the NBA G-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce for three seasons (2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19). He led the Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s affiliate, to a 78-72 mark in his three years.

“I am extremely excited to join Coach Smart and the Marquette University family,” Smith said.  “Having worked for Coach Smart at Texas, I know we have an alignment in how we see the game and I can’t wait to continue to build on that success. My family and I look forward to becoming a part of the Golden Eagle community and making Marquette Nation proud.”

https://gomarquette.com/news/2021/4/16/mens-basketball-mubb-announces-coaching-staff-additions.aspx