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Utah moved away from coach Craig Smith on Monday after four seasons of leadership. Smith joined the program in 2021 and will be due for nearly $5 million due to his fully guaranteed six-year contract.
The move comes in light of the school's inability to earn an NCAA bid in the last three seasons.
In a statement, athletic director Mark Harlan highlighted that the coaching change is sparked by the school's goal of competing in the Big 12 Conference and the NCAA championship. He also expressed that Utah does not have a candidate to replace Smith yet.
"I want to thank Craig for his work and commitment since he arrived in Salt Lake City," he said. "He has led us to special moments and memorable victories and Craig has poured his heart into building our current team.
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"However, we have greater aspirations for our men's basketball program, both within the Big 12 Conference and nationally and our expectation is to regularly compete in the NCAA Tournament."
He then added:
"I am confident that our national search, which has already begun, will lead us to the right coach to take our storied program back to national prominence."
Craig Smith leaves Utah Utes with a 65-62 overall record. The school is yet to announce its interim coach.
Smith coached South Dakota from 2014-18 and Utah State from 2018-21 before the Utes. He led the Aggies to two Mountain West tournament titles and three consecutive NCAA tourney appearances.
Craig Smith's exit comes at a unique time
Utah's dismal run has kept the program away from being called out on Selection Sunday. However, the move of relieving Craig Smith comes at an odd time, when the team is four games away from concluding its season.
A week ago, the Utes defeated the No. 17 Kansas 74-67. The win removed the Jayhawks from the latest AP Poll. Smith then led the team to a win against Kansas State. Moreover, the team will face the No. 22 Arizona on Wednesday, which would be a huge win for that program.
Utah is also set to face the No. 25 BYU for its last regulation game, which acts as another crucial matchup.
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