SALT LAKE CITY — As the news spread around campus of head men’s basketball coach Craig Smith’s departure, we went to the University of Utah to see how fans feel about the move.
The hope of a fresh start can bring new energy into a fanbase.
“I’d say I was pretty hopeful, I mean we’ve had some success,” said Utah junior Conner Johnson.
Some fans say they felt the excitement four years ago when Craig Smith came in off a great run as head coach at nearby Utah State.
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Craig Smith fired as Utah head basketball coach
“Getting a program that could be in the tournament to root on would be a lot of fun,” said Robert Rassner, a Salt Lake City local who watches the Utes.
But with those aspirations slipping out of reach for a fourth straight season, the university is moving on once again.
Some students told me they hadn’t even heard about it. But for those that did, Smith’s early exit this season came as a surprise.
“When I saw the news on my phone, I was honestly a little upset,” said Utah junior Aaron Kellum.
Kellum believes the team needs more NIL money to be able to properly compete in the modern game.
“Like if you look at BYU, they’re getting the second-best player in the country in high school next year,” Kellum said.
There also seems to be a sense that enthusiasm for their Utes — both around campus and in the Huntsman — just isn’t there.
“We’ll go there and there will be way too many open seats,” said Utah sophomore Tate Tetreault. “Everyone plays better when you have a lot of eyes on you and people cheering you on.”
So, these fans hope that the next pick for the job can rekindle that spark they felt in 2021 and bring the program to new heights.
“This basketball conference is so much more competitive with teams like Houston, Kansas, Cincinnati — all these high-level teams,” said Kellum. “If we can get some transfers to come in with our new coach, we can win instantly.”
Utah now sits at 15-12 after the loss to UCF, with four games to go. Their first test sans Craig Smith comes Wednesday night at #22 Arizona.
