Texas Tech basketball assistant Dave Smart leaving for head-coaching job

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Dave Smart helped Grant McCasland get the men's Texas Tech basketball team back to the NCAA Tournament this season. That, coupled with his reputation as a highly successful coach in Canada, has earned him another head-coaching position.

The University of Pacific on Tuesday hired Smart to lead its downtrodden program. The Tigers went 6-26 this season, 0-16 in the West Coast Conference and ended on a 17-game losing streak.

"I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead the Tigers into a new era," Smart said in Pacific's announcement. "(Athletics director) Adam (Tschuor) and President (Christopher) Callahan have an ambitious and exciting vision for the program, and I thank them for entrusting me with the task of bringing that vision to life.

"I also want to thank Grant and everyone else at Texas Tech for the opportunity they gave me last season, which was a tremendous experience."

Pacific reassigned third-year coach Leonard Perry on March 4. Former South Plains College assistant Josh Newman coached the Tigers in their first-round loss to Pepperdine in the conference tournament.

The Pacific posted losing records five seasons in a row from 2014-19. After going 23-10 in 2019-20 and 9-9 in the pandemic disrupted 2020-21 season, the Tigers sagged back to 8-22 and 15-18 the next two seasons under Perry.

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Smart will be Pacific's fourth head coach since 2013. Ron Verlin went 38-55 from 2013-16, Damon Stoudamire 71-77 from 2016-21, and Perry went 29-65.

Smart served as the men's head basketball coach at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, from 1999 through 2019 and led the Ravens to 13 Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships. Smart won 656 games as Carleton head coach and had a record of 591-48 against U SPORTS competition, U SPORTS being the primary governing body for college sports competition in Canada.

He was Carleton's director of basketball operations for four years after being the program's head coach.

Texas Tech men's assistant coach Dave Smart, shown during a September practice at United Supermarkets Arena, on Tuesday was named head coach at the University of the Pacific. Smart spent one season at Tech after a highly successful head coaching career at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.
Texas Tech men's assistant coach Dave Smart, shown during a September practice at United Supermarkets Arena, on Tuesday was named head coach at the University of the Pacific. Smart spent one season at Tech after a highly successful head coaching career at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech basketball assistant Dave Smart leaves for head-coaching job

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