Tubby Smith has agreed to be the coach at Memphis

[WACB]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas.../tubby-smith-reaches-agreement-memphis-tigers

Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith has agreed to be the men's basketball coach at Memphis, sources told ESPN's Jeff Goodman.

Memphis is replacing Josh Pastner, who left to be the head coach at Georgia Tech last week.

With Smith taking the Memphis job, the American Athletic Conference has added a former national-championship-winning coach in Smith, a former NBA Coach of the Year in Mike Dunleavy (Tulane) and former Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins (Central Florida) in the past few weeks.

Smith, 64, received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching award Friday in Los Angeles. He is one of two coaches to lead five schools to the NCAA tournament.

He coached at Kentucky from 1997 to 2007, leading the Wildcats to the national title in 1998 and 10 straight NCAA appearances. He coached Minnesota to the NCAA tournament in 2013 before abruptly being fired.

He led Texas Tech to the NCAA tournament last month in only his third season in Lubbock.

Smith previously coached at Georgia for two seasons and Tulsa for four.

Memphis is considered a top-25 job among college basketball coaches and administrators for its proximity to talent, its facilities and its storied history.

 

[wccat2969]

Definitely a step up from Pastner as far as on the court coaching. We shall see about the recruiting although if you can't recruit in the Memphis area you aren't trying.

 

[HexxenHammer]

Definitely a step up from Pastner as far as on the court coaching. We shall see about the recruiting although if you can't recruit in the Memphis area you aren't trying.

"Challenge accepted!" -- Tubby

That being said, I'm not sure if leading 5 different schools to the tournament [not necessarily winning a game when you get there] is really a great compliment like they're setting it up to be, or just a sign that you're a "journeyman" coach, for lack of a better term. He could be in great company, too lazy to Google.

 

[Kentucky fan 1989]

 

[Deli owl]

I wonder why he went from a power 5 conference to out of the club?

 

[dcspurlock]

Tubby can coach. His recruiting just got lazy his last few years here. If he can pull in some of that local talent down there I think he'll do big things at Memphis.

 

[lawrencekash]

What goes around comes around!

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Tubby is smart to get out of the big 12 and out of Texas tech. Memphis will be a solid last job for him.

 

[shutzhund]

Tubby can coach. His recruiting just got lazy his last few years here. If he can pull in some of that local talent down there I think he'll do big things at Memphis.

In Memphis the last thing you want to do is depend on recruiting Memphis players. You would be up to your ears with handlers and greedy family members with their hands out. Better to go national.

 

[Stonewall12]

Memphis just threw in the towel.

 

[ulismyman]

Tubby doesnt stick around long with exception of here....his longest tenure

 

[ZZBlueComet]

Tubby doesnt stick around long with exception of here....his longest tenure

Unfortunately

 

[stenchymouse]

I don't think he'll do much at Memphis...

Tubby doesn't like to coach tremendous talent and mediocre is the best he can do with mediocre talent.

 

[CatPhight]

I'm sure FedEx hit him over the head with a bag of corporate money and jet use.

Who's going to recruit?

 

[MWes11]

If he was smart, he would go grab Penny Hardaway to come be an asst. He could really help with the recruiting in the Memphis area, and around the country for that matter.

 

[CELTICAT]

His first season will be his best. Probably 25-27 wins and a sweet sixteen appearance.

 

[thebluestripes]

tubby ball will now be known as walking in memphis.

 

[bigc45157]

Wowza!

 

[dezyDeco]

"Challenge accepted!" -- Tubby

That being said, I'm not sure if leading 5 different schools to the tournament [not necessarily winning a game when you get there] is really a great compliment like they're setting it up to be, or just a sign that you're a "journeyman" coach, for lack of a better term. He could be in great company, too lazy to Google.

More proof that once you get on the Coaching Carousel, you can just ride and ride and ride and ride...

I'm one that still likes Tubby and will defend him on occasion, so good for Tubby! He'll get a nice raise and another "Honeymoon" period. Hopefully, he won't drive out onto the court on a motorcycle again, when October in Memphis comes around.

 

[Smashcat]

I'm sure FedEx hit him over the head with a bag of corporate money and jet use.

Who's going to recruit?

And don't forget about the pro golf tournament. But it doesn't matter. Tubby doesn't care about the money.

 

[WeWant9]

This has been one weird offseason with coaching hires. Pastner to GT, Stallings to Pitt, and now Tubby to Memphis. Those all just seem like odd fits, at least to me.

Oh well, good luck to Tubby though. I hope he can deal with that crappy fanbase.

 

[zannmann]

Well it has come full circle. We swapped coaches with Memphis. I like the trade

 

[Bobcat94]

Talk about Ironic...I remember toward the end of our Tubby years when we was playing Calipari in some tournament to start the year off and seeing the athletes Memphis had recruited and the fun fast paced style and saying boy I wish we could have that her at UK. Several years later it's come full circle for both teams lol.

 

[bthaunert]

I wonder why he went from a power 5 conference to out of the club?

Memphis > Texas Tech

 

[Deli owl]

Memphis > Texas Tech

I guess but being outside of the power 5 can have it's disadvantages. Maybe it will be easier for him to win his league in Memphis though. I really see it as a lateral move myself.

 

[caneintally]

Good move by Tubby. He do better then Pastner who is AWFUL .

 

[Zakk Wyldcat]

Any other supposedly "great" coach who has had SIX different college head coach jobs?

 

[bthaunert]

I guess but being outside of the power 5 can have it's disadvantages. Maybe it will be easier for him to win his league in Memphis though. I really see it as a lateral move myself.

Power 5 to me is a football thing. The National Champion just came from a non Power 5 conference.

 

[Neue Regel]

More proof that once you get on the Coaching Carousel, you can just ride and ride and ride and ride...

I'm one that still likes Tubby and will defend him on occasion, so good for Tubby! He'll get a nice raise and another "Honeymoon" period. Hopefully, he won't drive out onto the court on a motorcycle again, when October in Memphis comes around.

It is interesting isn't it? some of these guys are like the Energizer bunny, they just won't stop traveling around (Larry Brown, Lon Kruger, Tubby, etc) they'll coach all over the country they don't care. You know by now these guys have to be extremely well off (unless they can't control their spending habits) so why keep going? a passion for the sport and a passion for Coaching, I understand that part of it however it's a tough gig. I don't care what school you are at or how much tradition it has. You have to work a lot, travel a lot etc.

Don't these guys know that an ESPN studio gig awaits them if they would just retire? (well I may be wrong, I think ESPN prefers to hire the fired Coaches. )

 

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

Some comments from TT fans.

http://www.scout.com/college/texas-tech/forums/1651-basketball/14682492-memphis-opening?page=1

 

[Louis_Skunt]

Tubby is smart to get out of the big 12 and out of Texas tech. Memphis will be a solid last job for him.

You lost me when you said "smart".

 

[Bluegrass79]

"Challenge accepted!" -- Tubby

That being said, I'm not sure if leading 5 different schools to the tournament [not necessarily winning a game when you get there] is really a great compliment like they're setting it up to be, or just a sign that you're a "journeyman" coach, for lack of a better term. He could be in great company, too lazy to Google.

Yea he has a championship to back that up.

 

[turkeywildturkey]

I wonder why he went from a power 5 conference to out of the club?

Memphis is a better job than Texas Tech and has a tradition. Texas Tech has nothing.

 

[Bluegrass79]

Any other supposedly "great" coach who has had SIX different college head coach jobs?

and a championship

 

[CatPhight]

More proof that once you get on the Coaching Carousel, you can just ride and ride and ride and ride...

I'm one that still likes Tubby and will defend him on occasion, so good for Tubby! He'll get a nice raise and another "Honeymoon" period. Hopefully, he won't drive out onto the court on a motorcycle again, when October in Memphis comes around.

 

[crawfords corner]

Gone again from another program like a thief in the night. Most disloyal coach in college basketball history. That's something to be proud of.

 

[docholiday51]

This has been one weird offseason with coaching hires. Pastner to GT, Stallings to Pitt, and now Tubby to Memphis. Those all just seem like odd fits, at least to me.

Oh well, good luck to Tubby though. I hope he can deal with that crappy fanbase.

I thought that as well,Stallings style doesn't seem to be a good fit for Pitt,Pastner is in even farther over his head at Tech,Tubby probably made the best move of the three.Maybe he can contend in that conference(he was never going to do that in the Big 12) better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven I guess.

 

[4UK]

Well, at least we know who we'll be matched up with in the tournament the next time we're anything other than a 1 or 2 seed. Too rich to pass up - Cal's old school that he "abandoned" with UK's old coach that we "ran off." And the selection committee chairman will get on national TV and tell everyone it's just a coincidence.

 

[howercat]

probably a step up for Memphis. Tubby is an ok coach. Just refuses to recruit. Still think Memphis will be disappointed in the long run. Of Course, very few programs aren't disappointed in the long run.

 

[docholiday51]

Well, at least we know who we'll be matched up with in the tournament the next time we're anything other than a 1 or 2 seed. Too rich to pass up - Cal's old school that he "abandoned" with UK's old coach that we "ran off." And the selection committee chairman will get on national TV and tell everyone it's just a coincidence.

Pretty soon we can have our own bracket of made for t.v. games,lets see UL,IU,Memphis,Duke (if they are really good)UNC(when they get off probation)UConn ,KU,UCLA ,Mich St and Wisconsin.Only 5 more to go.Come on media and NCAA you can do this.