Texas HC Shaka Smart reportedly interviewing Michigan assistant Luke Yaklich

In the aftermath of former Michigan Wolverines head coach John Beilein’s departure for the Cleveland Cavaliers, it appears one of the program’s top assistants is now eyeing another opportunity, as well.

According to a report from Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, Michigan assistant Luke Yaklich was on the Forty Acres on Thursday, meeting with Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart in regards to a recently-opened vacancy on the staff.

Orangebloods’ Dustin McComas confirmed the report, as well.

The available opening on the Texas staff comes in the wake of Darrin Horn’s departure from the program, as he recently accepted the head coaching role at Northern Kentucky.

Yaklich has spent the previous two seasons with the Wolverines and has been largely credited with headlining Michigan’s defensive overhaul in short order, as detailed by Michigan athletic’s official site.

“In his first season with Michigan, Yaklich was instrumental in transforming U-M’s defensive approach as the Wolverines led the Big Ten in scoring defense for first time since 1964 and closed eighth nationally in scoring defense (63.3 points per game allowed). Overall, U-M was third in Defensive Efficiency according to the KenPom ratings (90.5).”

More recently, Michigan boasted the nation’s second-best adjusted defensive efficiency rating (86.2), per KenPom, trailing only Texas Tech.

Collectively, the 43-year-old Yaklich owns 20-plus years of coaching experience; most of which came among the high school ranks.