This past March, Richmond’s beloved VCU Rams basketball team became a nationwide sensation during their improbable (at least to those outside of Richmond) run to the NCAA Men’s Final Four. Since then, Shaka Smart, the Rams’ Ivy League-flouting coach, has become a bona-fide media darling. But with all the coverage the national outlets have been getting of our local legend, we haven’t heard much about Coach Smart’s experiences here in Richmond. River City Magazine decided it was time to find out...

There was a lot of cross-team support going between Richmond and VCU fans. Did that help at all?
Of course it helps to have any additional fans, but it’s extra special when you’re getting some love from your city rivals. It was a unique, but really awesome sight to see our fans pulling for the Spiders and their fans pulling for us.

Were you guys secretly pulling for a Rams/Spiders Elite Eight showdown?
We’re very friendly with the UR staff and have pretty good relationships with them, so of course it would have been great for the city of Richmond to have that happen; but honestly, we were just really focused on one game at a time and doing whatever we had to in order to keep advancing.

How does Richmond measure up to all the other college towns you’ve been to on your journey?
Richmond’s a great city that really supports their own at an incredible level. My wife and I love the eccentric side of Richmond that you really don’t get in many cities around the country. Being a history major, I thoroughly enjoy the immense amount of history that surrounds the area. As far as comparing it to other cities, my wife will tell you, I’m really just a basketball junkie. I’m pretty much at home or in the office, focused on trying to make our program the best it can be, so I never really got into enjoying the towns I was in as much as I could have. I do look forward to experiencing Richmond for many more years to come.

Edo’s Squid or Mama Zu’s?
Tough choice because they are both great places, but I’ll give the slight nod to Mama Zu’s.

Favorite Richmond restaurant and thing to do?
I have a couple different places, so it’s tough to narrow it down. My most frequent spot is Karen’s City Diner on Broad Street, but I also enjoy Lucille’s and Joe’s Inn. As far as the thing to do, I enjoy going to the Botanical Gardens with my wife.

With all this talk of food, have you even had to pay for a meal since you’ve been back in town?
[Laughs] It’s been pretty amazing, but yeah I have. I never want to have a sense of self-entitlement, so I never really take a free meal, to be honest with you. I’m extremely blessed and I know there are a lot of other people out there in the world who need free meals more than I do.

Who is your favorite NBA player of all time? Which NBA team do you cheer for?
Currently, I’m a big Rajon Rondo fan; of all-time, I’ll go with Magic Johnson. I was a point guard in college, so I always love watching guys distribute the basketball and get their teammates involved. I grew up a Chicago Bulls fan because my grandfather would take me to games. Right now I’d say I follow the Celtics the most because of the relationships I have with members of their coaching staff.

What made you love basketball so much that you wanted a career in the sport? Any favorite memories?
It is a sport that my grandfather really helped me get involved with ever since I was a young child, and it just stuck. I played other sports, but basketball was an early love for me. It’s tough to be able to select any exact memories, but playing in college with my teammates who are still some of my best friends, developing relationships with coaches and just being able to have my family and friends in the stands while I was coaching and playing is something that was and is very special to me.

What’s the wildest thing you saw a VCU fan do or wear to show their spirit?
My coaching staff and I were just focused on continuing to advance in the tournament, so it was tough to see everything, but I was told that some of our students rode buses over 30 hours to get to San Antonio, which is crazy and great all at the same time.

Anything else you’d like Richmond to know about you personally or as the Coach?
One of the biggest attributes that our program values is appreciation. On that note, everyone involved in our program from coaches to players to support staff want to truly thank Richmond for the love and support that was shown to us over the months of March and April. The city has helped make this experience even more special and something we’ll never, ever forget.

Congratulations to Coach Smart and the players, coaches and staff of the VCU Rams basketball team on their trip to the Final Four! We look forward to the start of yet another fantastic season this fall!