Craig Smith is out as head coach of Utah basketball

SALT LAKE CITY – In a surprising move, Utah is parting ways with head men’s basketball coach Craig Smith. The news was first reported by Jeff Goodman.

With the decision, Josh Eilert makes sense to take over as the interim head coach to finish the season.

Smith, who took over the program in 2021, had improved year over year until this season. Unfortunately, no NCAA Tournament appearances and failure to deliver in must-win games this season have led to his undoing.

Athletics Director Mark Harlan regarding Craig Smith

“I want to thank Craig for his work and commitment since he arrived in Salt Lake City. He has led us to special moments and memorable victories, and Craig has poured his heart into building our current team. 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. After evaluating our program under Craig’s leadership, I believe a change is needed to get us to where we want to go. The time is now to begin that process, and we will surround Coach Eilert, the staff and our student-athletes with support as they continue with their season.

We have continued to invest in our men’s basketball program, adding staff, increasing compensation and significantly enhancing NIL opportunities with our partners for our student-athletes. And our investments will only grow. 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.

We wish Craig and his family the very best,” reads a statement from Mark Harlan.

Craig Smith’s time as Utah basketball coach

During Smith’s tenure, the Utes had some notable wins but could not stack enough to provide significant value. Despite flashes of promise, Smith’s teams have been unable to maintain a high level of performance for extended periods of time. The Utes have squandered several prime opportunities that could have bolstered their postseason hopes. This is compounded by the issue that Utah has often looked sloppy in these games as well.

Smith’s departure comes as Utah is in the final stretch of the Big 12 race, which obviously adds to the shock value. However, the issues have long existed, and without noticeable improvement this season, decision-makers felt it necessary to make the change.

The program has shown the ability to compete in this league, which suggests that expectations will be raised with the move. That will also require greater investment from the top down to get Utah to meet those expectations.

Details of Smith’s contract buyout were not immediately available.  This marks the end of Craig Smith’s time at Utah, and the beginning of what will be a pivotal search for the next head coach to restore the Runnin’ Utes to national relevance.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.