Shaka Smart was introduced as Texas new basketball coach on Friday. On Saturday, amidst all the other duties a brand-new head coach must do in his first 24 hours on the job, Smart and the powers that be in the Longhorns' basketball program taped a 32-second video aimed especially at former letterwinners.
"I've been given the opportunity to be the steward of your men's basketball program," Smart said. "My goal is to build on the terrific tradition that you've established. You have complete access to our program, whether it's coming back for games, practices or just stopping by the offices."
Is it a p.r. move? Sure, it absolutely is. A 30-second video isn't going to get the high-visibility former players - in this case: T.J. Ford, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge - on board like a personal phone call would. (Though Smart has that taken care of as well.)
But it may reach the older generations of players, guys who aren't in the NBA but whose support still matters. And it's a move that will further galvanize the fan base in the embryonic stage of Smart's tenure.
Every coach in America opens his doors to former players, but not many take the extra step to create a 30-second video targeted specifically at them.