He's got smarts – on the court and in the classroom
By Dan Rubinstein
When the architect of the Carleton Ravens’ ascendancy as the top men’s basketball program in Canada decided to take a well-earned sabbatical during the 2015-‘16 season, the perfect substitute was waiting in the wings.
Not only is longtime assistant coach Rob Smart a former all-star guard with the Ravens and the nephew of head coach Dave Smart, he’s also a professor at the Sprott School of Business whose main research interests are teamwork and organizational change.
“There’s so much crossover between business and basketball,” says Rob Smart, who coached Carleton to its sixth straight Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship this spring, the team’s 12th national title in the last 14 years. “Both worlds revolve around the same things: teamwork, motivation, competition, conflict, decision-making, culture and community.
“In a lot of places, performance gets hidden. But in business and sports, you’ve got stock prices and a win-loss record. That type of direct evaluation might make some people uncomfortable, but others gravitate towards it.”
Smart brings lessons from the basketball court into the classroom, and his work as a researcher informs his approach as a coach.
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