I can't believe Minn. fired Tubby. The man is a good coach. He got screwed by Kentucky and now he's been screwed by Minn. He went there with a program under NCAA violations... and produced an OK team... and he gets fired. He's a good coach and a gentleman. He deserved better.
I laugh when people say he got screwed by Kentucky. He produced a decade of Unexciting, middle of the pack basketball there which guaranteed around a 20-10 season every year. Acceptable at 90% of schools, but not UK and a handful of others. Not to mention he left before they even had a chance to fire him. Classy on his part and UKs to have a seemless transition for both parties. Now Minnesota firing him is lunacy.... Who do they think they can get as a bottom of the pack team within their own conference to come in and improve on what he has done? Great man. Good coach. He will find success elsewhere. If it wasn't for Harper being the hometown guy and showing promise, I'd love for him to land at WKU although they could never pull that off.
He did get screwed over in ky. More by the fans than the school. For sale signs and such in his yard. He was never accepted, even after a national championship. I think if he would try and recruit top talent that he would be an elite coach. It seems to me he doesn't even go after them. Not sure why other than dealing with so called teenage super stars. sent from my samsung note 2
That's just a cop out used by all coaches who can't land elite recruits... That they don't go after them. Fan support was definitely lacking towards the end of his decade, but he won the championship with Pitinos team and was loved up until 03-04ish when they continually faltered with good if not great players/teams. It's a sore subject across the commonwealth for sure because he is a great guy, ambassador to your program, and an above average coach... He just didnt have what it takes to lead an elite program. No fault of his, nor of the programs for moving another direction.
Fan support wasn't even there in the beginning. Like you said, with pitinos boys. Even though there were no lottery picks on that team. There were some pro's but no elite pros. Cop out, did he go after the top recruits? His record was 32 and 4 in 02-03 27-5 03-04 28-6 04-05 And was pressured out in 07. After back to back 22 win seasons. He was the fastest to 100 wins since rupp and still, the fans hated him. His style of play was a big factor. sent from my samsung note 2
Well... most Kentucy fans are screwed up to begin with. He was put on the back burner the day he arrived there. What o you mean "decade". He wasn't there that long.. he came and they threw hin under the bus.
Agreed on all accounts. He was a good coach, just not good enough to stay at UK after nearly a decade without even a final four appearance. I only say Pitinos team as it was his leftover players from back to back final game appearances in 96 and 97 and Pitinos recruits that made up the team. He most certainly went after elite recruits. They just less and less became interested in coming to UK the farther from the glory days under Pitino it got. He even had a #1 class one year in the early 2000s, it just tapered off substantially towards the end. To stay at KU, Duke, UNC, or UK and to a lesser extent UofL, IU, and UCLA....you have to both Recruit at a high level (top 10 class annually) and produce with those recruits. In basketball unfortunately, tournament results are all that matters (no one cares about the 3 loss season Gonzaga just had after their second round flame out). His best team he ever fielded landed a number one overall seed then lost to UAB as a 9 seed. Elite 8 appearances every few years works at 95% of schools, but not the top 5-10 programs. I love Tubby Smith, I like that his name will hang in the rafters.... I just am glad he is no longer our coach. Apparently, so is Minnesota lol (although delusional on their part).
Coach K would not have made it out of his first 3 seasons at Ky. Food for thought sent from my samsung note 2
Im okay with him leaving. Minny was terrible in Big 10 play and the first/second round exits were always expected. Watch Minny chase after someone like Shaka Smart from VCU.
Very true.... they were asking for his head on the chopping block the first 3 years. How did that work out for them?
Tubby didn't produce any good teams in 6 years at MN...I'm fine with the decision...I'm tired of watching a team that looks so disorganized on offense and turns the ball over constantly
Then Coach K would have then taken a different school into the upper tier of schools single handedly as he did Duke. Tubby went on to produce even lower results at Minny. I don't see the same conclusion. The top schools have to produce consistently to keep up with each other. During Tubbys years at UK, Duke had 3 final fours and a championship, UNC 3 final fours and a championship, Mich St had 4 final fours and a title, Kansas and UCLA had 2 final fours each.... UK is the top program in the country and was getting left in the dust by the others gaining on them quickly, it was time for a change. And LOL at Cooter, Kentuckians refer to that as Tubby ball. Pound the ball at half court until 7 seconds on the clock, then drive furiously and chuck up a prayer of a shot.
It is all about the tournament. On that I agree. He did win a national title and a double over time loss to mich st away from another final 4. He had 1 good recruiting class that won over 30 games (i believe that was the class)but fell just a bit short. It wasn't his coaching that didn't produce results imo, it was his ability to recruit. In the end, that is his biggest downfall. The halfcourt game doesn't appeal to today's basketball players. He will most likely never be a big recruiter because of his style of basketball. sent from my samsung note 2
That is for sure. I still remember that game like it was yesterday. Our power cut out as Sparks was releasing the 3, so me and my dad scrambled out to the truck in the driveway in a torrential downpour to listen to the overtimes on the radio haha. Tubby will have mild success wherever he goes, but he will have to go to a school with lowered expectations to fit in. I hope he finds it.
I'm a tubby fan but he had his chance. 6 years or whatever In the making and not enough got done. None the less whoever hires him next MIGHT have themselves one hell of a coach.
I dont understand anyone thinking Minnesota was crazy for firing Smith. He hasnt finished above sixth in the Big 10 and every year no name schools and coaches advance in the tournament. There is no reason to pay a guy what he was making to usually go to the NIT and never win more than one game in the NCAA tournament here.
It will certainly be interesting to see where the program goes from here.... One of the problems they have is there is almost no way they are ever going to out-recruit Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisc, Indiana - so guess in my mind it's going to be hard to finish well in conf play if its easier for other teams to recruit...
They will always be middle of the pack at best. And to put things in perspective, Minnesota had made the tourney 5 times in school history before his arrival, he took them 3 out of 5 years. I think it boils down to money, they think they can get similar mediocre results for half or less the payroll.
I'd take him at Auburn in a minute. If he could just help them play .500 in the SEC and make even the NIT, he'd be seen as a success. Of course he'd have to put up with Jay Jacobs' antics.
The only way they could out recruit those schools is to hire an elite coach with a big time reputation. Tubby is not a good recruiter but imo, he is a hell of a coach. Even though I don't really care for his style of play. sent from my samsung note 2
