There wasn't as much news today as there was yesterday, with the Shaka to Marquette rumors falling through, it was mainly some repairs and recants by local Wisconsin media. Deadspin had an interesting tweet and article on the whole situation:
TV reports of Shaka Smart's hiring by Marquette & live shots from hoax presser the result of college student's tweet http://t.co/M4LVOyBn0A
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) March 25, 2014
...but as of this release, Shaka is still at VCU:
Latest news from @MichaelHuntMJS: #mubb hasn't landed Shaka Smart http://t.co/lguxVNh2cV
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) March 25, 2014
Not only that, but it seems that VCU told his players and staff at some point that he was remaining in Richmond:
Shaka Smart spoke to VCU commits & their coaches yesterday & assured them he isn't going anywhere
— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) March 25, 2014
By no means does this mean that he is staying there for certainty, but it certainly flies in the face of many tweets yesterday that he was heading to Marquette.
There was one VCU coach who made a jump today, and that belongs to Smart's lead assistant Mike Rhoades:
VCU's Mike Rhoades has accepted the head coaching position at Rice, multiple sources told @CBSSports. Here's more http://t.co/TPtoVd5RSs
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 25, 2014
As far as what that means for Wake Forest or Marquette there is really no telling. It could mean that Shaka is staying and Rhoades decided to go off on his own. One could also read it as Rhoades didn't want to go to Wisconsin or North Carolina. My best suggestion would be to take it at face value and realize that Rhoades just wanted to be the head of his own program. Best of luck to him at Rice!
Meanwhile, Rice wasn't the only vacancy filled today, as Steve Masiello took the head coaching job at South Florida.
BREAKING --- Steve Masiello to South Florida is a done deal, source tells @CBSSports. Press conference later this week. Story coming.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 25, 2014
Masiello did a great job at Manhattan this year and is one of the hotter young coaches in the NCAA. He was considered a dark horse, long shot for the Wake job. USF likely got themselves a good young coach to build up the program down in Tampa.
On the Wake Forest front there are a couple of tidbits to pass along:
Apparently Wake and Chris Mack have "mutual interest" in one another:
Wake Forest has been in touch with Xavier's Chris Mack, and there is mutual interest between the two. https://t.co/uvAo0vAHNI
— Chris Moore (@Moore_ACCSports) March 25, 2014
I also heard from a couple of different inside sources to Wake that the primary targets without a doubt are: Shaka Smart, Gregg Marshall and Ben Howland. If that is true then it is certainly a step in the right direction and means that the administration is willing to dish out the money to the big guns to be successful.
It also seems that money is not an objection and it will not be a hindrance once Wake Forest gets further along in negotiations with the primary candidates.
Ron Wellman was seen on campus late this afternoon as the first Spring football practice got underway at the Doc Martin Football Complex, so he is not out on any trip as of right now.
Other than that there isn't any pertinent news to pass along. We are still in wait-and-see mode, though it appears, according to Dan Collins that it could be a while before the hire is made:
The search for a new coach at Wake, from all I'm hearing, won't be wrapped up in hours, or probably not even days. Ron Wellman cautioned us all last week that it could be awhile before the Deacons have a new basketball coach. I tend to believe it will.
The thing that stuck out to me in that article, and a note that I had passed along as well, is that Mike Buddie will be heavily involved in this coaching search like he was in the Dave Clawson hiring. To me that is excellent news, and Buddie is more in touch with the pulse on everything in my opinion.
For "live" coverage of the coaching search, please stay tuned to "Shaka Watch 2014" for live updates on tweets, news and overall coaching information until the search is done.
