Shaka Smart---Do You Believe In Magic?

With the NCAA Tournament winding down to the Final Four, it is always interesting to watch the merry-go-round of coaches who have success in the tournament moving from the mid-majors to the traditional powerhouses. This year while the big boys came calling, the most desired mid-major mentor, Shaka Smart (VCU) decided to stay put and continue to build on his already incredible run.

As you examine this dynamic young coach, it is interesting to attempt to determine why he has reached such an amazing level of success in four years. While there are many factors involved, his decision to stay gives a strong indication of unity within his program and his focus on his athletes. Smart has done a great job of getting his players to believe in what he is saying and a great deal of that is based on the player-coach relationship. The former Clemson and Florida Assistant has developed a concept based on full-court pressure and total commitment to creating a game that most opponents rarely see. To be successful in his type of game, players have to be willing to “sacrifice their bodies” and be willing to invest all their effort for the benefit of the team. In his style if one player lets down for one possession, the result will be an easy basket for the other team. Very similar to Arkansas’ Nolan Richardson’s “40 Minutes of Hell”, Coach Smart’s Rams win because they totally have faith in the system and leadership.

Understand that the Coach Smart’s system works for various reasons including:

1. A highly competent staff who can really coach the fundamentals.
2. A talented team with the physical characteristics to implement the system.
3. A plan that forces teams to play a style that they are not accustomed that creates a differentiated approach.

All of the above are very important elements for any leader to have as part of their strategic positioning. One of the most important factors in bringing these elements together is having team members who totally believe that this plan is the absolute best way to get the desired result. Some leaders think by having the right system in place, success will assuredly follow. Reality is that is a good system or concept is an important piece of the puzzle not the end all , be all. Understand that the most critical thing for having the entire team buy-in to the system is they first have to believe in the leader. Remember that team members must believe in both the system and the leader. When you watch Shaka Smart’s team create havoc, it is easy to see that each player is a believer. Keep in mind that individuals must buy-in to the leader and his credibility first before they buy-in to the vision. Many great concepts have failed because the organization did not have confidence in the leader. Some of the brightest minds in coaching have had short tenures because the players did not commit. Can you think of any leaders who have failed for that reason?