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Just scrolled along the bottom of the screen on ESPN "Breaking News: ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting that Kentucky's Tubby Smith will be the next of of Minnesota"

I was shocked! Great news for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities if this is true!

Wow, I did not see this coming. I really thought we would get a less established coach rather than one with as many credentials as Tubby. Good hire if it's true, he'll immediately restore interest in the program and attract some better recruits.

I saw that too... wild.

We were already talking about it around the office here, and one of the guys suggested that the reason they hired Tim Brewster on the cheap for the football program was so that they could make a move like this for the basketball program. Hmmm....

Just posted on ESPN.com:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2808406

He is a very good coach.

He out coached Clem badly in '98.

Tubby is 55.

I wonder how this happened?

packerboy, that's what I'm thinking too, why would a guy leave one of the premier jobs in the country? Other than that, this is a great hire for the Gophers, I'll bet the season ticket sales will get a nice spike now.

ChrisK wrote:packerboy, that's what I'm thinking too, why would a guy leave one of the premier jobs in the country? Other than that, this is a great hire for the Gophers, I'll bet the season ticket sales will get a nice spike now.

I think he left because he didn't want to get run out of town. Kentucky fans are stubborn and they weren't content with tourney appearances and Sweet 16's, they want Final 4's and titles. Tubby was falling out of favor and was on a short leash. He gets a new start here with much less pressure.

Great now maybe some homegrown talent might not skip town for other teams. I hope he has a great influence on our recruiting.

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Tubby Smith is coming to town

I didn't see this coming, at least the part of Smith coming to Minnesota. Tubbs been taking a pounding down in the Bluegrass State, so him leaving was a forgone conclusion. If he left this year it would be on his terms, if he would have waited another, it wouldn't have.

Earlier I was going to post something to the effect that Minnesota could kiss a big name coach goodbye because Michigan was sure to attract the more desireable flies, and even the Iowa opening muddied the waters.

Good move Tubby, a #9 seed and opening round NCAA loss at Minnesota gets you a five year contract extension, in Lexington or even Michigan, it can get you fired.

Boy the U needed something to tell the world they still have a basketball team.........and they sure did!

Great job! Plus I'm glad they didn't steal Mike Leaf.

I think Tubby will be great.

I would have preferred someone on the up side of his career like Brewster in football. But I thought Monson was a great choice when they made it.

I dont necessarily like the " I am here because there isnt a lot of pressure to win" scenario but he does add instant credibility, no question.

If you cant tell, I am not as gidddy about this as everybody else seems to be but it should be a good short term approach and maybe thinking short term is appropriate right now.

Once you fall into the abyss of the Big 10, it is a long difficult road back to respectability. Ask the Penn St. and Northwestern basketball programs. Ask the Illinois and Indiana football programs. The Gopher basketball team is dangerously close to disappearing into that land of insignificance.

They need something, whether it is an arena, a recruit, or a coach to bring back some sizzle. They don't need an arena and the recruits aren't coming, so their only option was a coach.

I want to follow and care about Minnesota basketball again, and I don't think I'm alone.

I agree with that.

Tubby will be a life line that keeps them from drowning. (Geez, all this symbolism)

Hopefully, he can do for Bball what Holtz did for football but then pass it on to someone who can build on whatever success and foundation Tubby can establish.

I dont like being interested in the NCAAs just because of the office pool any more than you.

packerboy wrote: I dont like being interested in the NCAAs just because of the office pool any more than you.

Those three weeks of 10 years ago was a great time to be a Minnesota fan.

Opening round - MN backs up the #1 seed by tearing the boobs off of SW Texas St, it was never a game.

2nd Round - John Chaney and all the hype of his matchup zone was all for not as the Gophers blitzed Temple from the opening tip.

Sweet 16 - Double OT with Clemson, Q. Lewis misses free throws to ice the game...Urrrr. John Thomas, Courtney James and Miles "adult film star mustache" Tarver turn the Orange and blue, black and blue.

Elite 8 - Gophers maintain lead throughout entire game with UCLA. Steve Lavin sobbing on the sidelines during the final minute

Final Four - Gophers were 5-12 points behind Kentucky the whole night, they were never out of it, nor a threat to win.

Anybody watch Tubby's press conference?

The guy could have walked up to the podium and screamed "KISS MY A**!!!" into the mic and I'd still be thrilled he was here, but did anybody get the impression that he was a little less than enthusiastic?

I mean, he said all the right things - education this, championship that - but there wasn't a whole lot of energy behind it.

Maybe it's just been a busy couple of days.

Give Tubby some time. Eva Longoria has just kicked him to the curb and now he is jumping into the arms of Rosie O'Donnel.

Irishmans Shanty wrote:Give Tubby some time. Eva Longoria has just kicked him to the curb and now he is jumping into the arms of Rosie O'Donnel.

Nice!

Govs93 wrote:Anybody watch Tubby's press conference?

The guy could have walked up to the podium and screamed "KISS MY A**!!!" into the mic and I'd still be thrilled he was here, but did anybody get the impression that he was a little less than enthusiastic?

I mean, he said all the right things - education this, championship that - but there wasn't a whole lot of energy behind it.

Maybe it's just been a busy couple of days.

Tubby's really that not that enthusiastic, ra ra guy that's going to show a lot of fire publicly. He is a winner and a guy who runs a clean program, and if he can do those two things at the U he will be a legend.

Thats a good one IS.

But what happens if Eva's friend Nicolette Sheridan wiggles her finger in a couple of years.

I havent observed him much so I dont know what he is like but he doesnt seem quite as happy about his currnet situation as Brewster.

I hope this isnt Lou Holtz again.

packerboy wrote:
But what happens if Eva's friend Nicolette Sheridan wiggles her finger in a couple of years.

And she will, and when she does, she will be wearing something tight and revealing. Translation, Tubby leaves. But hopefully the Gophers are released from the purgitory that they are now in.

It's the same reason why Michigan St. or Florida will lose their coach shortly after a national champion is crowned this year.

There are five basketball programs in America that can take any coach at any time, they are UCLA, Kansas, NC, Duke, and Kentucky.

Tubby Smith contemplates an offer to
become Arizona's head coach following Minnesota's
2011 run to the Final Four.

Congrats Gophers basketball, finally did something right.

bet you they wont even make the nit

Irishmans Shanty wrote:
Tubby Smith contemplates an offer to
become Arizona's head coach following Minnesota's
2011 run to the Final Four.

Nice one, Shanty!

dangla. wrote:bet you they wont even make the nit

I wouldn't doubt that for next season, but once Tubby gets some of his own players in here, I think we'll start seeing the "Tubby Effect".