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Shaka Smart adds former Vanderbilt assistant David Cason to VCU coaching staff

Shaka Smart

With assistant Mike Rhoades accepting the head coaching position at Rice, VCU head coach Shaka Smart had a vacancy to fill on his coaching staff. Wednesday afternoon it was announced by the school that David Cason, who for the last three seasons was a member of the Vanderbilt coaching staff, had been hired to fill the vacancy.

“I’m really excited the opportunity to join the VCU basketball program. What Coach Smart, his staff and the players have done over the past five years is nothing short of remarkable,” Cason said in the release. “I’m looking forward to rejoining a longtime friend in Jeremy Ballard and continuing to build my relationships with the rest of the coaching staff and the players. My family and I can’t wait to be a part of the VCU and Richmond communities.”

Cason joins Jeremy Ballard and Mike Morrell on Smart’s coaching staff, one that has seen an assistant leave for a head coaching job in each of the last four off-seasons. So in that regard it seems pretty clear that Smart’s assistants have gone on run programs of their own, a goal for any coach working his way up the ranks.

VCU’s made four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances under Smart, and the Rams have won at least one game in three of those trips with this year being the exception. The Rams will have to account for the graduation of guard Rob Brandenburg and center Juvonte Reddic, but most of their rotation from last season (including guard Briante Weber and wing Treveon Graham) will be back in 2014-15.

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