Marquette University men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart said he’s “really grateful” and “excited” about the contract extension he’s gotten from the school.

Smart was signed until 2027. He is now signed until 2030. His two-year tenure at Marquette has been wildly successful.

The Golden Eagles were Big East regular season and conference tournament champions last season.

Marquette Athletic Director Bill Scholl called it “one of the easier decisions” he’s made since coming to the school. Scholl said they wanted Smart “to know how much we wanted him.”

He lauded Smart’s care for his student-athletes and his being a great teammate within the athletic department.

Early national projections have Marquette ranked very high; top five in the country, even number one in some places.

Smart said, “bring it on.” He’s not worried about outside expectations.

Sometimes, there’s just a great fit between an employer and the individual. Marquette and Smart appear to be in that category.