Doc Rivers will be coaching the Milwaukee Bucks while his No. 31 Marquette jersey hangs high above him in the rafters at Fiserv Forum.

It's a unique position, one that MU coach Shaka Smart couldn't be happier about.

"He’s the best," Smart said Wednesday after the Golden Eagles' victory at DePaul. "Very, very excited that he is back in Milwaukee."

Rivers played at MU from 1980-83, scoring 1,234 points.  Longtime assistant Rick Majerus is the one who bestowed the nickname upon the young guard with the given name of Glenn, who had many memorable moments for the then-Warriors, like his 35-foot shot to beat Notre Dame in 1981.

Smart has a longstanding relationship with Rivers, and the Golden Eagles coach considers the 62-year-old Rivers a mentor.

"I got to know him back when I was at Florida in the 2008-09 season as I was recruiting (Rivers' son) Austin," Smart said. "And he’s just always been really kind to me. He’s always given me great advice."

Having a prominent alumnus coaching one of the NBA's best teams in the building in which MU plays is certainly a positive for the Golden Eagles program.

"When I got the job at Marquette, we were able to get together my first couple weeks in Milwaukee," Smart said. "So just having him in town as a resource will be very, very powerful and something I plan to lean on.”

When the news broke earlier this week that the Bucks were set to hire Rivers, Smart reached out to him.

"He texted me back," Smart said. "He’s excited. He’s a championship-level coach, so I mean he’s a guy that any opportunity like this, he’s ready to run with it. Coaching is what he does. So I know he’s excited to get back in it.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Shaka Smart thrilled that Marquette legend Doc Rivers will coach Bucks