Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland has announced the hiring of Dave Smart who will join the men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach after earning 656 overall victories as the head coach at Carleton University over 18 seasons. Smart was 591-48 against U SPORTS competition during that time and earned the Stuart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophy as U SPORTS Coach of the Year a record 10 times.
“Dave Smart is one of the greatest coaches in all of basketball,” McCasland said. “We are thrilled to have him as part of our program. Coach Smart’s ability to win speaks for itself but his understanding of how to help people grow is what separates him. We are thankful to have he and his family in Lubbock.”
Smart moved into the role of Director of Basketball Operations at Carleton (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) the past four seasons. His honors also include being a 10-time OUA East Coach of the Year and two OUA Coach of the Year awards. During his 18 seasons, Smart led the Ravens to 11 OUA championships – the most by any coach in conference history – and 13 U SPORTS Final 8 national championship titles.
Along with collegiate coaching experience, Smart was named the assistant coach of the Canadian Senior Men’s Basketball National team by head coach Jay Triano. In June 2013, The Development Men’s National Team (DMNT) completed a sweep of the Four Nations’ International Invitational Tournament with a perfect 9-0 record in registering three victories over each of the United States, Latvia and host-nation China. Smart was also the assistant coach of the Senior Canadian Men’s National Basketball team that finished third at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City. Smart helped Canada to 8-2 record, including a one-point victory over Mexico in the bronze medal game. At the 2016 FIBA Rio Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila, Philippines, coach Smart continued in his role as assistant coach of the SMNT.
He has a record for producing pro-level talent with his collegiate players transitioning to professional basketball, including: Paul Larmand, Josh Poirier, Osvaldo Jeanty, Aaron Doornekamp, Stu Turnbull, Ryan Bell, Kevin McCleery, Willy Manigat, Tyson Hinz, Thomas Scrubb, Philip Scrubb, Guillaume Payen Boucard, Kaza Kajami-Keane, Connor Wood, Ryan Ejim and Joe Rocca.
Smart has been named recipient of the Pat O’Brien Award as Ravens’ Coach of the Year on five occasions (2003, 2005, 2008-2009 & 2015).
A graduate of Queen’s University, Smart was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. Smart was also a coaching consultant for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League, focusing on defensive mindsets and player attitude, and was the general manager of the Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Basketball League. He is widely regarded as the most successful basketball coach in Canadian university history.
