University of Texas Head Basketball Coach Shaka Smart has promoted Director of Basketball Operations Mike Morrell to Assistant Coach. He will replace David Cason whose contract was not renewed last week. Morrell was an assistant on Smart’s staff at VCU, and served as an assistant coach during the 2015-16 season at UT. He was moved to an administrative role when Smart added Jai Lucas to the staff last spring.

“It’s extremely important that our staff is in complete alignment,” Smart said. “Mike has been tremendously loyal, hard-working and productive over the years as a member of our staff. We’re excited about what he will do as an assistant coach here moving forward.”

Prior to his arrival at VCU, Morrell was an assistant coach at Charleston Southern (North Charleston, S.C.) for one year in 2010-11. He spent three seasons (2007-10) on the staff at Clemson under head coach Oliver Purnell. As a graduate assistant in 2007-08, he handled film breakdown for opponent scouting, organizing recruiting mail-outs and assisting with the coordination of the Oliver Purnell Basketball Camp. Morrell first worked directly with Smart that year, when Smart was an assistant for the Tigers. He then served as director of basketball operations at Clemson for two years (2008-09 and 2009-10). The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons on the staff.