Tubby Smith to leave Kentucky for Minnesota

General111

Tubby Smith will leave Kentucky to take over the head coaching job at Minnesota, multiple sources told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz.

Let the coaching circus begin…

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111 Responses to Tubby Smith to leave Kentucky for Minnesota

  1. pakfanistan 03/22/2007 at 2:58 PM #

    Thank god we’re not a part of this.

  2. Redblogger 03/22/2007 at 3:04 PM #

    I’ll bet Calipari makes a ton of cash out of this one.

  3. BJD95 03/22/2007 at 3:09 PM #

    First Steve Alford (to New Mexico), then Tubby Smith. Looks like we started a trend last Spring with coaches getting out of town ahead of the posse for lesser (but not embarrassingly so) jobs for comparable money and a fresh start.

  4. BJD95 03/22/2007 at 3:10 PM #

    Gillispie will cash in heavy as well. Mark my words on that one.

  5. skywalkerdt 03/22/2007 at 3:10 PM #

    Gary Parrish is also now reporting this. What’s with coaches at big school’s leaving for smaller gigs? Alford from Iowa to new mexico and now tubby? are they having herb sendek i can’t handle the pressure moments?

  6. ktpritch 03/22/2007 at 3:11 PM #

    Wow – they ran off someone who went to the NCAAs every year and was in 4 elite 8s. Who do they think they are? Shouldn’t they be happy with a coach who delivers those kind of results? Where is the “he who should not be mentioned” article detailing how foolish and “lunatic fringe” Kentucky fans are for wanting more and putting some heat on Smith?

    Of course, with a better coach, we might see more of Ashley Judd on national tv – see, not all things are bad!

    Sorry – that bit of sarcasm was too easy.

  7. skywalkerdt 03/22/2007 at 3:11 PM #

    may get gillespie a raise but he won’t leave TAMU, A&M can just bump his pay and he gets to stay in his native texas

  8. BJD95 03/22/2007 at 3:13 PM #

    Buddy of mine has a friend in the bluegrass state – says UK folks want Crean. That would be interesting.

  9. legacyman 03/22/2007 at 3:17 PM #

    I’m waiting for the national outrage for running off a coach after ten years of making the NCAAT and even winning one title. Don’t those Ky fans know that they can’t compete with unc-ch and dook? What are they thinking. OK, press, let’s hear it.

  10. BJD95 03/22/2007 at 3:17 PM #

    Sucks for Tubby – had he jumped earlier, he could have had UVA for sure. Minny is a pretty crappy consolation prize.

  11. tooyoungtoremember 03/22/2007 at 3:19 PM #

    Agree 100% about Gillespie. He’ll stay, but he’s gonna get some bank.

  12. Mr O 03/22/2007 at 3:19 PM #

    What exactly has Crean done except for the one Final Four run?

    Tubby has done well at UK, but sometimes after 10 years it is best for both parties to part ways. This is obviously one of those cases.

    For Tubby, I wonder what the draw of Minnesota was???

    It will be interesting to see if anyone targets Prosser.

  13. Pack92 03/22/2007 at 3:20 PM #

    Agreed about GIllespie. If I did not know as much about him last year I sure as heck do now. The guy can coach. A&M does have deep pockets so I would think he would stay there. What a burr under Rick Barnes saddle! First ‘Ol Roy but then he leaves and now Billy GIllespie. Geez, I may as well be in the ACC!

  14. choppack1 03/22/2007 at 3:21 PM #

    BJ – I think it will be much easier to win at Minnesota. The Big 10 sucks when compared to the ACC. Tubby could have competed against Coach K and Roy, or Izzo and Matta…and Izzo hasn’t done much since that national championship run.

    I think his style will work well in the Big 10 where no one scores in bunches.

  15. skywalkerdt 03/22/2007 at 3:23 PM #

    I’m in college station. The commitment to Gillespie and aggie basketball is unprecedented. They did major renovations to a new arena to make it more basketball friendly and are now setting to add on to the arena witha basketball practice and athletic training facility that willl be amazing. plus the 12th man foundation has DEEP pockets to pay G more

  16. LRM 03/22/2007 at 3:24 PM #

    Actually, Minnesota has more success than we’ve had over the past 20 years. They’ve got a Final 4 (1997) — incidentally enough, it was Kentucky that beat them that year.

  17. joe 03/22/2007 at 3:27 PM #

    Minn. has a very old arena with poles blocking the views from some seats. It opened in 1928. They added some lame skyboxes at the top of the upperdeck. Even though it’s old it seats 14k. It was the biggest arena in the country from 1950 to 1971.

  18. packbackr04 03/22/2007 at 3:28 PM #

    THOSE TERRIBLE KENTUCKY FANS, ALL TUBBY DID WAS WIN BASKETBALL GAMES, AND THEY RAN HIM OFF….

    any wagers on if we will hear this out of the national media?????

  19. tooyoungtoremember 03/22/2007 at 3:29 PM #

    Isn’t Minnesota building new facilities too?

  20. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/22/2007 at 3:29 PM #

    Well with Sendek, who led NC State to five consecutive NCAA tournaments, being the best coach in the country ASU better come up with some cash to keep Kentucky from grabbing him.

  21. joe 03/22/2007 at 3:31 PM #

    Minn. is building a new on campus FB stadium for the 2009 season. They play in the crappy Metrodome now.

  22. LRM 03/22/2007 at 3:32 PM #

    MN is still reeling from the sanctions that ended the Clem Haskins era…Tubby’s the type of guy they need to get them back to winnings. I think this is a smart move for him, and I think he can win at MN.

  23. primacyone 03/22/2007 at 3:37 PM #

    I bet they go after Steve Lavin!

  24. Six Pack 03/22/2007 at 3:37 PM #

    YES!!! You beat me to it! The Sendk Watch is on. Will he or won’t he go to Kentucky? The best coach in America will definitely be sought after by one of America’s most storied programs. Right?

  25. LRM 03/22/2007 at 3:40 PM #

    Seriously, why do we care where Sendek goes now or what the national media thinks about us running him off? I’m just glad we finally succeeded and he’s finally gone. I know all my buddies won’t believe I ever said this, but we gotta drop the Herb issue…

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