Erik Spoelstra on new Siena head coach Nevada Smith: ‘It’s going to be an exciting brand of basketball’
By JAMES MADDEN
Siena officially announced the hiring of Marquette assistant and former G-League head coach Nevada Smith as its next coach Wednesday evening, per release.
Smith spent three seasons as an assistant under Shaka Smart at Marquette and in different administrative roles with the Golden Eagles and at Texas. Smith also spent five seasons as a head coach in the G-League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Smith’s former colleague and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about the hiring pregame on Wednesday.
“We’ve kept in touch… we’re really rooting for this opportunity,” Spoelstra said. “He could’ve been a head coach, probably at a different school, different level the last few years. He has a great, innovative coaching mind and I think his experience with Shaka Smart, the last several years has really taken his acumen and understanding of everything at that level to even a different level than it was before. I think it’s a great fit. I think it’s going to be an excited brand of basketball. Siena fans will love the style of basketball that he coaches. The players will love it as well.”
The Saints are fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance in which they led by double-digits against No. 1 Duke and late in the second half, before being eliminated. Following the loss, Siena head coach Gerry McNamara departed the program after two seasons to coach at his alma mater, Syracuse.
The 20th head coach in program history, Smith has had two stops as a collegiate head coach in his career, both at Division III programs such as SUNY Canton and Keystone.
(Photo by Ryan Messier / Paint Touches)
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