Marquette University head men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart‘s contract has been extended through the conclusion of the 2029-30 campaign, Vice President & Director of Athletics Bill Scholl announced.
“In a very short period of time, Shaka and his staff have done a tremendous job of establishing a winning culture, both on and off the court,” Scholl said. “Shaka’s vision for the program is focused on extended, sustainable success. The individuals who interact with the team on a daily basis are able to observe frequent examples of growth and the excitement around the program is contagious.”
Smart guided Marquette to a historic level of success in 2022-23, highlighted by the program’s first BIG EAST Conference regular season and tournament titles. The Golden Eagles won a team-record 29 games and tied the league record for wins (17). MU earned its highest national ranking in nearly 50 years and the roster featured the league’s player of the year (Tyler Kolek), sixth man award winner (David Joplin) and a pair of all-league honorees (Kam Jones and Oso Ighodaro).
Marquette earned a No. 2 seed, highest in program history, in the NCAA tournament and claimed an opening-round win over Vermont in Columbus, Ohio.
As a result of the team’s success in 2022-23, Smart claimed national coach of the year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, United States Basketball Writer’s Association and Associated Press. He also claimed unanimous BIG EAST Coach of the Year accolades.
In his first season with the Golden Eagles in 2021-22, Smart helped guide the program to a 19-win campaign, a NCAA tournament appearance and multiple team and individual accomplishments.
“My family and I are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be part of the Marquette community, where relationships, growth and victory truly matter,” Smart said. “I am grateful for Dr. Lovell and Bill Scholl’s continued belief in our program – and for the ways they support us on a daily basis. Most importantly, I feel extremely fortunate to be around our players and staff every day – we have a special group at Marquette.”
Smart has led Marquette to a 48-20 (.705) record in two seasons with the program and originally signed a six-year contract when he was hired in 2021.
