Former NBA head coach Keith Smart takes over Utah Prep with AJ Dybantsa

A former NBA head coach is coming to Hurricane to tutor the top prospect in the country.

Keith Smart, the former head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers, is taking over the reins at Utah Prep, the southern Utah school announced.

Smart’s arrival comes after the academy let go of former coach Justin Yamzon last week. Yamzon was a former player at BYU-Hawaii, who was touted as an up-and-coming basketball mind.

Now, the academy will turn to a proven commodity.

Smart has bounced around the NBA and elite college basketball for years. Beyond his head coaching stints, he spent time on Erik Spoelstra’s bench with the Miami Heat. He also was an assistant for the Grizzlies and Knicks as recently as 2019.

For the last few seasons, he was in Arkansas, working under Eric Musselman. The program made two trips to the Elite Eight during that stint.

Smart will take over a team with top NBA prospect, and BYU commit, AJ Dybantsa. Utah Prep also has Washington-bound point guard JJ Mandaquit.

But Smart’s role will likely extend beyond just guiding those two. Utah Prep is losing almost all of its top stars after this season. It will need to attract talent beyond 2024-25. Getting a coach with NBA experience could help that cause.

The current Utah Prep staff has some experienced coaches on it. Former BYU assistant Collin Terry is on the staff. Terry helped BYU to the NCAA Tournament last year with Mark Pope.

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