The days of mortgaging for basketball are over. A concept some still either don't get or don't like. Solid hire.

The Second Coming of Christ is what some think will happen with this hire, for so many inflated reasons.

This would be a solid hire. Solid. Yes, the supporting staff, blah, blah, blah. Tubby would be an excellent backbone to begin a new era of Tiger basketball.

Would you have traded Josh for Tubby two weeks ago?

(04-13-2016 05:54 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  Definitely a home run hire. Great choice in many respects. Sporting News recently selected him as Big 12 Coach of the Year and recruits will notice the championship ring on his finger when he scratches his nose. Those who doubt if he still has intensity don't know much about Tubby Smith.

Homerun hire my a$$. That statement is as bad as fans saying they would rather have Pastner back.

I’ve watched Tubby his entire career. Decent coach but nothing special. I consider the style his teams play as boring and nothing special either. Good X/O coach but could never land enough top recruits to form powerful teams.

(04-13-2016 05:59 PM)BealeStreetTiger Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:45 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:33 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:26 PM)Hoots Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:15 PM)FORealTigerFan Wrote:  Stupid hire. Ran out of Kentucky, Fired from Minn. Hasn't has had double digit loss seasons since 2004. Sounds like a real winner.

Dig a little deeper.

3 NCAA wins in the last 11 years. Is that deep enough?

No

Thats 6 NCAA tourneys and most of that time was spent at Minnesota and TT. Two recruiting Death Valley programs.

Sounds pretty impressive in context.

Well what was his excuse at Kentucky? You do know he couldn’t get good recruits to come there? He won the NC with Pitino’s guys and never formed a top team of his own.

Well thats just flat wrong. He went to multiple Elite 8's long after the Pitino boys had left.

He's taken 5 different programs to the dance and 3 different programs to the sweet 16 (fell one game short of #4 three years ago at Minnesota).

(04-13-2016 06:16 PM)BealeStreetTiger Wrote:  Homerun hire my a$$.

Lets dial it back a little.

No need to open up with that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

(04-13-2016 06:19 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 06:16 PM)BealeStreetTiger Wrote:  Homerun hire my a$$.

Lets dial it back a little.

No need to open up with that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Ok I'll dial it back but still, that is my opinion.

(04-13-2016 06:17 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 05:59 PM)BealeStreetTiger Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:45 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:33 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:26 PM)Hoots Wrote:  Dig a little deeper.

3 NCAA wins in the last 11 years. Is that deep enough?

No

Thats 6 NCAA tourneys and most of that time was spent at Minnesota and TT. Two recruiting Death Valley programs.

Sounds pretty impressive in context.

Well what was his excuse at Kentucky? You do know he couldn’t get good recruits to come there? He won the NC with Pitino’s guys and never formed a top team of his own.

Well thats just flat wrong. He went to multiple Elite 8's long after the Pitino boys had left.

He's taken 5 different programs to the dance and 3 different programs to the sweet 16 (fell one game short of #4 three years ago at Minnesota).

He won the National Championship the first season he replaced Pitino, with Pitino’s recruits. Although in & out of the top 25 the next 4 seasons he lost 9-10-10-10. The next 3 seasons he landed better recruits and made some decent runs but then fell out of the rankings after that.

The reason was he could no longer land top recruits and after 2 more seasons he was terminated. It was also rumored some of his players were talking about transferring which didn’t help either.

(04-13-2016 06:46 PM)BealeStreetTiger Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 06:17 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 05:59 PM)BealeStreetTiger Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:45 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:33 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  3 NCAA wins in the last 11 years. Is that deep enough?

No

Thats 6 NCAA tourneys and most of that time was spent at Minnesota and TT. Two recruiting Death Valley programs.

Sounds pretty impressive in context.

Well what was his excuse at Kentucky? You do know he couldn’t get good recruits to come there? He won the NC with Pitino’s guys and never formed a top team of his own.

Well thats just flat wrong. He went to multiple Elite 8's long after the Pitino boys had left.

He's taken 5 different programs to the dance and 3 different programs to the sweet 16 (fell one game short of #4 three years ago at Minnesota).

He won the National Championship the first season he replaced Pitino, with Pitino’s recruits. Although in & out of the top 25 the next 4 seasons he lost 9-10-10-10. The next 3 seasons he landed better recruits and made some decent runs but then fell out of the rankings after that.

The reason was he could no longer land top recruits and after 2 more seasons he was terminated. It was also rumored some of his players were talking about transferring which didn’t help either.

Sure, but 6 years after Pitino was gone he was winning 32 games and made multiple elite 8 runs.

So clearly he did build some pretty strong teams after Pitino.

His first year at Kentucky was 1997.

From 2003-2005 he won 32, 27 and 28 games. 7 NCAA tournament wins and two elite 8's during that stretch.

A long time fan told me today, "I would be good with Tubby. I think I'd like a big boy running the program for a change."

He is a solid coach - don't care how old he is. He knows how to run a program. His downfall typically is recruiting. So make him bring on a killer recruiting staff. I think he would have no trouble getting great NATIONAL AC's here. They would know it will be a stable situation, with strong recruiting benefits.

His WORST year at Minnesota was comparable to what we had this year. At MINNESOTA. He was the only coach in Kentucky history who went to the NCAA tourney every year. Pitino didn't. Cal didn't.

I can certainly get behind it.

Here is my honest assessment, sarcasm aside.

The good: Tubby is the best Xs and Os coach at Memphis since Dana Kirk. One of the best coaches period. There is a reason why over 200 college coaches visit him annually. The man can flat out coach. His teams are disciplined and he gets the most out of players.

The bad: Now, here is where I'm really worried. He doesn't recruit. Never has. He will never have a 4 to 5 star player because he doesn't hit the AAU circuit. I heard an AAU coach on Memphis radio today say the same. He said Tubby hates AAU coaches, while Buzz Williams will drink Red Bull and vodka with AAU coaches. He will only get good players if he has a hell of a staff. I don't see it happening.

The bad: The man is 64. He will be 65 before the season starts. What kind of energy can he really give to get things done? You get 5 years max out of him.

The bad: He left Kentucky because of insane expectations from fans. Hello...welcome to Memphis!

Just not what I was hoping for.

has Tanya Skees weighed in yet

#passionate

(04-13-2016 07:01 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 06:46 PM)BealeStreetTiger Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 06:17 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 05:59 PM)BealeStreetTiger Wrote:  

(04-13-2016 04:45 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  No

Thats 6 NCAA tourneys and most of that time was spent at Minnesota and TT. Two recruiting Death Valley programs.

Sounds pretty impressive in context.

Well what was his excuse at Kentucky? You do know he couldn’t get good recruits to come there? He won the NC with Pitino’s guys and never formed a top team of his own.

Well thats just flat wrong. He went to multiple Elite 8's long after the Pitino boys had left.

He's taken 5 different programs to the dance and 3 different programs to the sweet 16 (fell one game short of #4 three years ago at Minnesota).

He won the National Championship the first season he replaced Pitino, with Pitino’s recruits. Although in & out of the top 25 the next 4 seasons he lost 9-10-10-10. The next 3 seasons he landed better recruits and made some decent runs but then fell out of the rankings after that.

The reason was he could no longer land top recruits and after 2 more seasons he was terminated. It was also rumored some of his players were talking about transferring which didn’t help either.

Sure, but 6 years after Pitino was gone he was winning 32 games and made multiple elite 8 runs.

So clearly he did build some pretty strong teams after Pitino.

His first year at Kentucky was 1997.

From 2003-2005 he won 32, 27 and 28 games. 7 NCAA tournament wins and two elite 8's during that stretch.

That was a long time ago and his last 2 seasons there were flat and not really impressive. Then they got Billy G and he couldn’t stay off the SAUCE, lol.

I posted a few days ago Tubby is one of the best X’s & O’s coaches there is. He is also a great teacher of the game and I have always liked and respected him. With that being said I also never thought he would be a really good fit for Memphis.

My primary reason is his recruiting never impressed me. Almost every season he would have 1 or 2 weak positions that other coached could exploit. I never figured this out especially at a school like Kentucky. I finally just concluded these were the type of players he wanted for his system.

IDK maybe he will work out if we do land him. Lots of good talent in this area who want to wear the blue & grey. Getting a good recruiter would be key IMHO and don’t forget, the teams in the AAC are getting stronger.

Good hire. Big time coach, and is a well respected name in CBB. Hope we get him signed. If this falls thru, hope we go after Forbes.

If the CA is accurate on Thursday AM, then the deal is done. Welcome to coach Smith. At my age, everybody in coaching but Larry Brown is younger than I am.

Glad to have you here, youngster!

Now if you can get a whippershapper like Penny Hardaway on your staff, we are talking a big deal.

My initial reaction was "could have done better" on this scale but I have warmed up to the idea of bringing in an experienced, proven head coach. So, I voted him as a "good hire". If we can get recruits, I believe he can coach! Tubby certainly demands the respect of his players.

Anyone want a recount?

I voted horrible then and vote horrible now.

I voted bad hire then and still do!!