Though he did not achieve the level of success that he had while at Auburn , Sonny Smith 's tenure at VCU was not without its bright spots . In his fourth season he led the Rams to 20 wins and an invitation to the 1993 NIT . Smith 's best season at VCU was his seventh , the 1995 – 96 season . VCU had just left the struggling Metro Conference to become a member of the Colonial Athletic Association , and Smith led them to success in the new conference immediately . The Rams won both the CAA regular season and tournament championships , earning Smith 's only NCAA Tournament bid at VCU . Smith was named CAA Coach of the Year at the end of the season
tournament
1996 CAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Sonny Smith