VT Insider: Shaka Smart egomaniac

[HoyaPotter]

Was talking to some Virgina Tech guys and according to a VT Insider, Tech made a play for Shaka a couple months ago before they tried to get Buzz.  Shaka basically told them they had to meet a certain extremely high dollar number to get him and that Shaka came off as an egomaniac.

I've always liked Shaka but with that information and what happened with Quette it does seem that there was a done deal in place and Shaka backed out of the deal a la Billy Donovan, making the Marquette insiders look bad in the process.  Just food for thought.

[GB Warrior]

First of all, let's establish this. MU...VT.

Second, it would seem that VT wasted no time in finding a coach without such lofty standards and sense of self-worth.

[Eldon]

Was talking to some Virgina Tech guys and according to a VT Insider, Tech made a play for Shaka a couple months ago before they tried to get Buzz.  Shaka basically told them they had to meet a certain extremely high dollar number to get him and that Shaka came off as an egomaniac.

I've always liked Shaka but with that information and what happened with Quette it does seem that there was a done deal in place and Shaka backed out of the deal a la Billy Donovan, making the Marquette insiders look bad in the process.  Just food for thought.

One insider here said that Shaka seemed genuinely happy and very hesitant to leave VCU.  IIRC he also said that he didn't think Shaka was just using us to leverage VCU for more money (the fact that I haven't seen Shaka getting a raise corroborates this thought).  

Perhaps he came off as an egomaniac only to VTech.  I mean, after all, nobody could possibly want to coach basketball there.  Every coach on earth would have supremely high requirements if it meant going to live in the middle of nowhere and ride shotgun while the football coach drives wherever he wants.


........

[RubyWiscy]

Yeah, may have been Shaka's way of saying, "Don't even go there with me!"

[GB Warrior]

Whether Shaka did or did not have genuine interest in MU, I'm convinced that this is the route he HAS to take so long as he doesn't have an agent. An agent can float a name to drum up interest and boost his clients' value. Shaka has to do the dance to get the same effect.

[HoyaPotter]

One insider here said that Shaka seemed genuinely happy and very hesitant to leave VCU.  IIRC he also said that he didn't think Shaka was just using us to leverage VCU for more money (the fact that I haven't seen Shaka getting a raise corroborates this thought).  

Perhaps he came off as an egomaniac only to VTech.  I mean, after all, nobody could possibly want to coach basketball there.  Every coach on earth would have supremely high requirements if it meant going to live in the middle of nowhere and ride shotgun while the football coach drives wherever he wants.


........

Yes, I did have to explain to them what an ingrate coach they were getting with Buzz what with all the baggage that comes with him.  But they did not want to listen to that.

However, they have no reason really to denigrate Shaka so I tend to believe that info.  It does explain all the done deal talk over here.  Something went terribly wrong and it does look like Shaka pulled out which created this circus.

[Oldgym]

Yes, I did have to explain to them what an ingrate coach they were getting with Buzz what with all the baggage that comes with him.  But they did not want to listen to that. However, they have no reason really to denigrate Shaka so I tend to believe that info.  It does explain all the done deal talk over here.  Something went terribly wrong and it does look like Shaka pulled out which created this circus.

I think it's pretty well accepted now that Shaka had one foot out the door MU was trying to get him to walk through. His previous waltzes with UCLA, Illinois, et. al. weren't people's imaginations.  There's a pattern and VCU will go through this again next March. 

But there's also quite a distance between that pattern and 'egomania'.

[Litehouse]

I think it's safe to say VCU isn't getting a Big East invite any time soon.  GU and MU are now united on that front.

[Wisco]

VT "insiders" couldn't be bothered with basketball. Or any sport that isn't football, for that matter.

Although I did hear that the award-winning bass-fishing team was going through its own set of juicy controversies.

[Wisco]

.

[willie warrior]

I think it's pretty well accepted now that Shaka had one foot out the door MU was trying to get him to walk through. His previous waltzes with UCLA, Illinois, et. al. weren't people's imaginations.  There's a pattern and VCU will go through this again next March. 

But there's also quite a distance between that pattern and 'egomania'.

OK, I'll settle for Prima Donna Con Man.

[UticaBusBarn]

OK, I'll settle for Prima Donna Con Man.

We had a prima donna con man ... he left under the cover of darkness for Blackhole, VA.

[Gopher+RamFan]

Was talking to some Virgina Tech guys and according to a VT Insider, Tech made a play for Shaka a couple months ago before they tried to get Buzz.  Shaka basically told them they had to meet a certain extremely high dollar number to get him and that Shaka came off as an egomaniac.

I've always liked Shaka but with that information and what happened with Quette it does seem that there was a done deal in place and Shaka backed out of the deal a la Billy Donovan, making the Marquette insiders look bad in the process.  Just food for thought.

If this is true, it would be the 2nd time Va Tech went after Shaka. I don't really buy it, since they tried to get him a couple years ago - they would already know enough about him, and what it would take to get him to leave VCU.

[Avenue Commons]

Isn't egomania basically a prerequisite to being a high level coach?

If you don't have extreme confidence you probably are in the wrong profession.