Report: Michigan's Luke Yaklich to join Shaka Smart's staff at Texas

The rumblings appear to have turned into reality.

Two weeks after interviewing for a job at Texas, assistant coach Luke Yaklich will reportedly be leaving Michigan to join Shaka Smart’s staff in Austin.

According to a report by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on Tuesday night, Smart is “expected to hire” Yaklich as an assistant.

Yaklich’s departure comes a week after Michigan’s 10-day coaching search ended with former Miami Heat assistant and Fab Five member Juwan Howard replacing John Beilein, the program’s all-time winningest coach who made the jump to the NBA.

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Yaklich, 43, was brought in two seasons ago by Beilein to serve as the team’s defensive specialist. During his two years in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines finished in the top three in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency and in the top 10 in points allowed per game. They also went 63-15 over that span, recording back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time in program history.

Yaklich was viewed as a possible in-house candidate to succeed Beilein before the job ultimately went to Howard, who served as the Heat's defensive coordinator.

Prior to his time at Michigan, Yaklich spent four seasons as an assistant at Illinois State and coached high school basketball in Illinois for 14 years.

At Texas, Yaklich will fill the opening left behind by Darrin Horn, who took the head job at Northern Kentucky, and join a Longhorns squad that has ranked No. 40, No. 21, No. 12 and No. 26 in defensive efficiency during Smart’s tenure.

The status of Michigan’s other two assistants — Saddi Washington and DeAndre Haynes — have yet to be determined as Howard assembles his staff. Howard’s lone personnel decision came last week when he announced he was retaining strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @jamesbhawkins