Tubby at Minnesota - He Gone.

[WoodstockCat]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21948116/tubby-smith-out-at-minnesota

[bigsky]

And nothing's gonna bring him back

[LakeCat]

Think we'll hear any pundits claim this was a racist move??

[bigsky]

Think we'll hear any pundits claim this was a racist move??

No kidding. He left here voluntarily and that's all we,

Heard!

[KSRBEvans]

Anxiously awaiting Dickie V's righteous indignation on a scale equal to what we saw here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZPJQrHsIng

[KSRBEvans]

BTW--didn't Tubby just get extended? Why would they wait until after they extended him to fire him? I wonder what the payout is going to be.

[cattails]

Funny how some Minny fans support him still, expect less, get less. Not a Saul fan at all and at one time Tubby was a good coach, think those days are gone. At 61 and plenty of money move to TV or retire. Hey if they put Knight on TV why not Tubby.

[MickintheHam]

Think we'll hear any pundits claim this was a racist move??

Probably not! I wish the very best for Orlando, Donna and young Saul. I guess Saul is the forgotten loser here.

[CitizenBBN]

His agent is really slipping, let him get fired before he got the next job lined up. Though in fairness even he couldn't have foreseen Tubby train wrecking what was supposed to be his best team at Minny. Agent had to figure he had till at least mid April this year, after the Final Four coaching schmooze.

Yeah, I'm waiting anxiously for the anti-Minny rant from vitale and the accusations of racism.

Bevans -- Ironic in that they just gave him the extension, but also he finally won a NCAA tourney game at Minny. His best season there and they fire him after giving him a pass for a couple of ugly collapses. This is why when it's time to fire a coach you have to do it decisively and not wait to see if he "turns it around". Sometimes it does happen, but rarely. Joker wasn't going to turn it around if you gave him till the Rapture, BCG wasn't going to change his spots from year 1 to year 2, and Tubby wasn't going to suddenly find new motivation out of thin air to put in the work and make the tough decisions to build a seriously competitive Big 10 program.

[Doc]

Anxiously awaiting Dickie V's righteous indignation on a scale equal to what we saw here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZPJQrHsIng

So he starts of by quoting one of the biggest cheaters of all time in college basketball (Jimmy Valvano) then goes on to claim Minnesota got the best of this deal? LOL. Sure UK had to go thru BCG to get Calipari but long term I'm betting Vitale doesn't still believe the Gopher's get the best of the deal.

[Rock Hard Ten]

Sort of like Joker.....how can one feel sorry for someone walking away with several Million $

Echo here on how the Vitale's of the world articulate this one......he had 10 years in Lexington and only 6 there.....those Minnesota folks are merciless in their win at all costs approach

In all sincerity, this is a shocker!!!!

[bigsky]

Nobody forgets Saul Smith; he's still a punch line.

[uklandrn]

Have to say this news surprised me - but it is something that needed to happen 2 or 3 years ago. Think it's time for OTS to hang up his coaching whistle for good.

[UKHistory]

2.5 million. Minnesota just hired a new AD, the former VCU AD, and I guess he wanted to give Tubby some level of support. Huge mistake for Minnesota.


BTW--didn't Tubby just get extended? Why would they wait until after they extended him to fire him? I wonder what the payout is going to be.

[CitizenBBN]

Funny how some Minny fans support him still, expect less, get less. Not a Saul fan at all and at one time Tubby was a good coach, think those days are gone. At 61 and plenty of money move to TV or retire. Hey if they put Knight on TV why not Tubby.


His only weakness would be his tendency to step on his own words and not speak in complete sentences. I defended this aspect of Tubby fwiw for years and still do. I know others who do the same thing, their mind is going one speed and their mouth another and they end up stepping on their own sentences and cutting them off. Not a sign of lack of intelligence or anything else negative, but obviously a weakness for a broadcasting job.

He'd be far from the worst though. Digger and Vitale speak fluently but say nothing of use, and Tubby does know the xs and os as well as anyone out there. His weakness is just his work ethic and desire post national title, but he knows basketball and I'd welcome his commentary regardless of delivery.

Mick -- not sure what Saul will do. Tubby's got a lot of ties in the coaching fraternity I would assume that can land Saul a job. If nothing else maybe they can get out of that icebox part of the country. Nice city but personally I'd be miserable in that climate.

[VirginiaCat]

Evidently Tubby did not know until Goodman asked him about it...

If true, not classy at all on Minny's part. Everybody deserves better than that and Tubby is a good man. Not the coach for UK but a good guy.

[UKFlounder]

I wonder if Saul would assist Little Rick at FIU? That would be interesting :)

[MickintheHam]

2.5 million. Minnesota just hired a new AD, the former VCU AD, and I guess he wanted to give Tubby some level of support. Huge mistake for Minnesota.

Not if they hire Shaka Smart.

[CitizenBBN]

2.5 million. Minnesota just hired a new AD, the former VCU AD, and I guess he wanted to give Tubby some level of support. Huge mistake for Minnesota.

And an obvious one.

Tubby's results were to the point of him being fired, but you want to give him support to see if he can improve things. OK, fine. Did you bother to observe if he was actually changing anything in an attempt to get different results? Changing his staff, his style of play, his recruiting tactics, his work hours, anything?

No, you hoped he would somehow just do better with the same staff, the same approach, the same level of recruiting. Definition of insanity, an easy outcome to predict, and they were too stupid to see the obvious. When you end a season by losing 11 of 12 games and in the off season you don't change a freakin' thing, you're surprised when his next team has the same issues?

Same ol Tubby. Keep the same tired staff of yes men, don't kill yourself recruiting, run the system you know with little if any deviation and wonder why you didn't win more games.

[CitizenBBN]

Evidently Tubby did not know until Goodman asked him about it...

If true, not classy at all on Minny's part. Everybody deserves better than that and Tubby is a good man. Not the coach for UK but a good guy.

Wow, yeah that would be low. Of course we don't know what went on behind the scenes to get to that point, from Something that ticked them off to just miscommunicating, but pretty poor result. Just a matter of professionalism regardless of the coach. Even BCG wouldn't have deserved that treatment b/c it's a reflection of the AD and his actions, not the coach.

[CitizenBBN]

Not if they hire Shaka Smart.

Would make me a ton happier than him at UCLA.

[akaukswoosh]

Best it happened now. This was his best team, couldn't even finish .500 in the B10 and next year it looks really bleak. At least he went out with an NCAA appearance.

[KeithKSR]

Tubby is now available for UCLA.

[Blueridge]

I really do hate to see Tubby go out this way. I am very glad he moved on from UK as that was good for both parties. However, I still like him, respect him and appreciate the few excellent years he provided us while always staying one of the gentlemen of college basketball. I use to enjoy his "STARE" and always had confidence in his X and O's and end game situations (minus the Sheree Thomas free throw debacle lol).

Good Luck Tubby Smith!

[KeithKSR]

Not if they hire Shaka Smart.

Smart is. Not likely to turn down UCLA for Minnesota. Minnesota is not an overly attractive job.

[akaukswoosh]

Chris Dortch ‏@cdortch 1m (https://twitter.com/cdortch/status/316243705730326528) Tubby Smith had been one of the lucky ones to leave three other schools on his own terms. The ziggy finally caught up with him.

[akaukswoosh]

Minnesota is not an overly attractive job..It will be when they get that practice facility built.:winking0011:

[Padukacat]

Tubby is now available for UCLA.

In other news Rick Barnes has decided to pull his name from the UCLA list.

[anderwt]

Tubby is a nice guy..hate that he got fired..this though will sound mean, there is the UK fan in me that can't help but say, told you

[Padukacat]

As for tubby.....man i cringed to hear him try and answer questions on the spot going into halftime. I think he gets too anxious and doesnt really hear the question, or just answers what he thinks he hears.

[badrose]

Not if they hire Shaka Smart.

No reflection on you, Mick, but I'm seeing his name pop up so much it's become a punchline for me.

"What, Lassie? Timmy's fell in the well again? Quick, somebody call Shaka Smart!"

[Doc]

His only weakness would be his tendency to step on his own words and not speak in complete sentences. I defended this aspect of Tubby fwiw for years and still do. I know others who do the same thing, their mind is going one speed and their mouth another and they end up stepping on their own sentences and cutting them off. Not a sign of lack of intelligence or anything else negative, but obviously a weakness for a broadcasting job.

He'd be far from the worst though. Digger and Vitale speak fluently but say nothing of use, and Tubby does know the xs and os as well as anyone out there. His weakness is just his work ethic and desire post national title, but he knows basketball and I'd welcome his commentary regardless of delivery.

Mick -- not sure what Saul will do. Tubby's got a lot of ties in the coaching fraternity I would assume that can land Saul a job. If nothing else maybe they can get out of that icebox part of the country. Nice city but personally I'd be miserable in that climate.

Can we disagree on this? Vitale is far from fluent. I swear he has a speech impediment (or more likely creates one to bolster his relevance). Who says "shear" as in "This shear Kentucky will have 7 McDonald's All American's". He is almost as bad as Bill "Mumbles" Walton, or Bill Raftery who starts every game with some type of Ninja yell. Some call it a "trademark", I call it a distraction from the game.

As for Tubby, I think he would do well in the booth.

[Doc]

Evidently Tubby did not know until Goodman asked him about it...

If true, not classy at all on Minny's part. Everybody deserves better than that and Tubby is a good man. Not the coach for UK but a good guy.

Wonder if Minny has a reporter like Alan "I can run all day with you" Cutler who followed BCG into his office and hounded him after he got axed?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPbZZaq1jaE

Tubby is a good man. I wish him the best.

[ukpumacat]

I know one of the top boosters at Minny actually. He is golfing buddies and pretty close with Tubby. Last time I saw him he told me it was a matter of time. The problem is that everyone loves and respects Tubby...until they watch his teams play. Produces quite the conundrum.

[TheFabFueder]

Smart is. Not likely to turn down UCLA for Minnesota. Minnesota is not an overly attractive job.

Doubt Smart would turn down VCU for Minny.

[Doc]

I know one of the top boosters at Minny actually. He is golfing buddies and pretty close with Tubby. Last time I saw him he told me it was a matter of time. The problem is that everyone loves and respects Tubby...until they watch his teams play. Produces quite the conundrum.

His strength has always been taking mediocre players and coaching them up. Part of his problem at UK was some players did not respect him and his lackadaisical effort on the recruiting front. Its like he felt if the players were good, then he could get it done, and he did to the point it was good enough to keep his job.

[suncat05]

Kinda unusual as to the way Minnesota did it. And honestly, I would not look at it as Tubby being fired or terminated, Minnesota just didn't ask him to return next season. Very odd too, considering that he had already received an extension and they had won a 1st round game.
If Tubby becomes a TV analyst he'll do a fine job. He knows the game about as well as anyone, and he'll have zero stress aside from being gone to call games and making his flights to get wherever it is he's calling a game.
Trust me, he'll be a lot happier and much more content without coaching. Just my take on this.

[akaukswoosh]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanCBS 9m (https://twitter.com/GoodmanCBS/status/316252637131575296) Tubby Smith is a really good man, but Minnesota was mediocre in his tenure. New Gophers AD Norwood Teague doesn't want to be mediocre.

[UKHistory]

I keep hearing that tubby is such a good man. The more games Tubby lost, the closer to his supporters came to petitioning the Vatican for his sainthood.

Tubby was not successful at Minnesota. And Tubby's tenure was not stellar at UK. Take away regular season victories over UofL his last three years and it would have been hotter for Tubby.

[bigsky]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanCBS 9m (https://twitter.com/GoodmanCBS/status/316252637131575296) Tubby Smith is a really good man, but Minnesota was mediocre in his tenure. New Gophers AD Norwood Teague doesn't want to be mediocre.

Then Norwood's got a Kentucky Football size mountain to climb.

[MickintheHam]

Smart is. Not likely to turn down UCLA for Minnesota. Minnesota is not an overly attractive job.

Really??

[dan_bgblue]

As for tubby.....man i cringed to hear him try and answer questions on the spot going into halftime. I think he gets too anxious and doesnt really hear the question, or just answers what he thinks he hears.

I had the chance to speak with him on 2 different occasions for just a few minutes each time and it was night and day different than how I would hear him speak in front of a microphone. He was relaxed speaking to me and never stumbled over words or had to take seconds to figure out the right words to use.

That has nothing to do with his inability to speak in public which is a huge part of the job of a head coach.

[Rainman]

Always liked TUbby Smith as a man and a human being but still think history will recognize him as one of the most overrated coaches of all time.

[Rock Hard Ten]

Always liked TUbby Smith as a man and a human being but still think history will recognize him as one of the most overrated coaches of all time.

Have to find "raters" who will be 100% objective which is quite the task

[ukblue]

He got by much longer than I thought he would. Tubby never did do well playing freshmen or having a eternally young team. IF they didn't transfer or get run off and by the grace of god make it to their junior and senior years tubby would have a decent team.

[Doc]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanCBS 9m (https://twitter.com/GoodmanCBS/status/316252637131575296) Tubby Smith is a really good man, but Minnesota was mediocre in his tenure. New Gophers AD Norwood Teague doesn't want to be mediocre.

Good thing for Goodman that CBS does have the same standard. Obviously they will accept less than mediocre.

[MickintheHam]

I had the chance to speak with him on 2 different occasions for just a few minutes each time and it was night and day different than how I would hear him speak in front of a microphone. He was relaxed speaking to me and never stumbled over words or had to take seconds to figure out the right words to use.

That has nothing to do with his inability to speak in public which is a huge part of the job of a head coach.

I don't get much in to UK memorabilia. One of my prize possessions is the picture of my golf foursome with Ashley Judd, Tubby Smith, Jeff Shepherd, Cameron Mills and Sam Bowie. Tubby could not be a finer person. Conversation with him for several holes on the golf course was easy as well as funny. And, I only have the most respect for Donna. I introduced my daughter to Donna her senior year in HS. Donna spent about 15 minutes talking to her after a game about life on Campus. It was VERY enlightening and she gave daughter some very sound advice.

[anderwt]

Listen there is no doubt how good of a person Tubby is...however in my eyes, the most overrated coach I've seen... Minnesota should have expected and gotten more than 1 NCAA win in 6 years right? Why? Because he "left" UK to coach there.. He was labeled mediocre at UK by the fans, but in turn us as fans were called racist and unfair to Tubby..he had 6 years at the same place to turn around that program to not just an average program, but to be a great program..they reached the level that Tubby can only be and that is mediocre..hence us UK fans may have not been so crazy after all

[Darrell KSR]

Sorry, won't join the lovefest. I think John Calipari is a much better man than Tubby Smith.

I do agree Tubby is much better in person than in a group setting. I'd love to see him go coach high school basketball in a rural area for $35,000 a year. He's made enough money.

[ETWNAPPEL]

I think the resaon folks talk so much about how good a person Tubby is and how he is a nice man has less to do about making him a saint and more to do with the other former UK coaches. He is a saint compared to them. I don't think he was overated. His in game coaching in his first four years was great and far above Pitino. I just have to assume he lost the eye of the tiger. His last 4 at UK and 6 at Minny define mediocre.

[ukblue]

For 2.5 million a year one can be a swell person to about anyone. One thing that might of been the final straw is the two top ten players from the 014 class. The Jones kid that Cal and UK is after and the Vaughn kid that is a two guard. Neither is considering Minnesota for their choice to play college ball and the AD is trying to get someone in there with enough time to give them a chance at recruiting these kids.

[MickintheHam]

Sorry, won't join the lovefest. I think John Calipari is a much better man than Tubby Smith.

I do agree Tubby is much better in person than in a group setting. I'd love to see him go coach high school basketball in a rural area for $35,000 a year. He's made enough money.
I may be missing your point. I don't see a love fest. I see what I believe is a common set of opinions. It may not be everybody's but there at some level seems to be consensus.

Tubby was a good coach at Georgia and his first 3 or 4 at UK. At that point he seemed to lose it both in recruiting and in ingame coaching situations. He's a sincerely a nice guy. I think we all appreciate his service to the University and the surrounding community. He stayed too long. (fill in the blank for how long). We're happy with the way the coaching situation at UK is today. He certainly has a respected place among UK fans.

[Rock Hard Ten]

Lots of opinions on Tubby......with BBN, the topic should be treated like religion and politics......stay away from it unless you want to raise the ire of those with whom you are taking an opposing view from.......

Wonder what this will do to his "Hall of Fame creds"......if Joe B. doesn't make it with 1 Banner and 3 FF's, does Tubby make it with 1 Banner and 1 FF?

[Terry Blue]

The Tubster is an average coach, poor recruiter, who hired less than average assistants. Maybe now he'll move back to Lexington, have breakfast at Wheeler's and criticize Cal. Would be surprised if he gets another BCS gig

[TonyRay]

I enjoyed 98 and 2003, represented the university well without trouble and respect the man. It was time for a change for both parties. Hate that his regime at Minnesota didn't go better but I did like that he got to dance after beating Tom Crean!

[Darrell KSR]

Bigger fan of Tubby, the coach than the man.

Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.

[Lfbj00]

And Tubby's tenure was not stellar at UK.

SEC Coach of the Year three times.
Assistant Coach on 2000 U.S. Olympic Gold Metal Team.
Jim Phelan Coach of the Year 2005.
Henry Iba Award winner 2003.
Naismith College Coach of the Year 2003.
5 SEC Regular Season Championships.
5 SEC Tournament Titles.
6 Sweet 16's, 4 Elite Eights, and a National Title.
Every team he coached at UK made the NCAA Tournament (They all can't say that).

[Catfan73]

I keep hearing that tubby is such a good man. The more games Tubby lost, the closer to his supporters came to petitioning the Vatican for his sainthood.

Tubby was not successful at Minnesota. And Tubby's tenure was not stellar at UK. Take away regular season victories over UofL his last three years and it would have been hotter for Tubby.

LOL! Just as with Joker, these guys aren't getting paid for being good guys. It's great when they're good guys and great coaches, like Cal, but their #1 job is to win games.