I love Tubby Smith. Never have I known a person of such celebrity with his genuine grace and humanity. I had the privilege of knowing him through our (Dawahare's clothing stores) affiliation with the University as the official clothier of the coaches. We met upon his arrival, and I got to meet with him on a number of occasions. My fondest such meeting was at his office just before the NCAA tournament his storied first year. I took him a gift of SIX ties saying, “here coach, now you’ll need six for this tournament.”
He quizzically smiled and kind of looked at me sideways as he said with a chuckle, “now don’t do that to me.” Little did either of us know that he’d be leading that ’98 team to the National Championship. [And don’t listen to that utter hogwash “but he won with Pitino’s players.” To a man each of those players said they wanted to win it for Tubby. I truly don’t believe Rick Pitino would have won with that team].
Tubby obviously won a lot of hearts and minds that year, and beyond, with very good teams that twice just barely missed the final four. With SEC dominance, TWO number one seeds in 2004 and 2005, a humble personality and bottomless generosity he was a winner both on and off the court
Yet recruiting deficiencies dogged him the last few years. His very first year of recruiting held a foreboding experience: the nation’s top center, John Stewart, died before he was to enter school. Tubby handled that with class, just as he did everything, by having the family come down for a memorial game in his John’s honor—it was very touching.
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After the 2005 season, missing yet another Final Four by suffering a heartbreaking double OT loss to Michigan State, it got bumpier. Tubby had only one really good (on paper) recruiting class in four years—this year’s juniors—but they turned out to be a bad fit or plain over-rated. Two of them wanted to go pro (Randolph Morris and Rajon Rondo, a third tried to transfer (Joe Crawford). The two classes ahead of them lacked the kind of Prince or Bogans talent Kentucky needed, and the sophomore class is non-existent, the only player (Jared Carter) injured for the season.
Personally I would like to have asked:
1) "What's happened with recruiting? Not only the problems mentioned above but also the players that stay don't seem to exhibit true love and teamwork like your earlier teams. There was "team turmoil" and other inter-player issues about every year."
2) “Why have the teams been so out of sync on offense the last few years. No screens, no pick-and-rolls or backdoor cuts, errant passes, incessant dribbling. Your earlier teams were masters at great teamwork offense. Is the current failure a function of your coaching or that of your assistants--or is it just a lack of talent? And why don’t we guard the three like we used to?”
It’s academic now, but there remains an unresolved issue: the national media’s inaccurate portrait of the Kentucky fan base. We are painted as the cause for Tubby’s departure, as being ungrateful, impossible-to-please fans with highly mis-placed priorities.
The truth is that there was never more grumbling over Tubby than there was with Pitino—even as he was winning Championships—over his constant overtures to going to the NBA. Yes, there was grumbling over 10-loss seasons and the lack of Final Fours, but there has always been way more support FOR Tubby than against, even after this season ended. Jim Rome really nailed it, absolving the UK fans in the process http://www.jimrome.com/home.html.
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Now I read something today in the Louisville Courier-Journal that should have been apparent to all: Tubby’s deal with Minnesota was months in the making. As early as December sources told the Minnesota AD, Joel Maturi, that Tubby might be interested in a change. Maturi then spoke with search firm, Dan Parker Associates, who then got Maturi and Tubby’s agent, Ricky Lefft, together. They apparently hammered out a deal over the last SEVEN weeks, and when it was all but signed Maturi called Kentucky AD, Mitch Barnhart for official permission to speak with Tubby, which he did on Thursday.
Please keep in mind there was NO grumbling back in December. Kentucky had just beaten their fiercest rivals, Louisville and Indiana, and there was hope for a great season. But even then Tubby was apparently looking for a new opportunity.
Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, and what meetings Tubby had with AD Barnhart, but it certainly did not help that Barnhart gave less than solid public assurances that he even wanted Tubby to stay by saying he’d review the situation with Tubby at season’s end, and also that changes would be in order. No coach with any self-respect, especially one as accomplished as Tubby Smith could or should be made to suffer that kind of micro-managed meddling over staffing.
On the other hand Tubby did promise to make changes after the lackluster 2006 season, but none were made. So fans were understandably confused, especially when the product on the court didn’t seem to be improving.
So why did he leave? Perhaps Tubby didn’t care for Barnhart’s apparent lack of support or perhaps he really did listen to the call-in shows, although he says he never did.
Or, perhaps he saw the dismal prospects next season and beyond if his two prized recruits (Patrick Patterson and Jai Lucas) spurned his offer. Neither would commit (why??). And word was Morris, the ONLY inside presence, was going pro.
In Minnesota he saw an opportunity to escape from a little-to-win-lot-to-lose situation (where he had just received a $1.5 million bonus for staying ten years) to a place with a great contract, an ELATED fan base and nothing but upside!
No, Kentucky's fans most assuredly did not force Tubby out and he has said as much also adding that he hopes the day comes when Minnesota fans have that kind of expectations.
In the end it works out great for him and I join all Kentucky fans in wishing him Godspeed. We hope that it works out as swimmingly for our wonderful University and fan base as it does for him.
I know it will. We are Kentucky. We’re humans with heartfelt passion, but in the end humans with class as well.
Richard F. Dawahare 3/24/07
He quizzically smiled and kind of looked at me sideways as he said with a chuckle, “now don’t do that to me.” Little did either of us know that he’d be leading that ’98 team to the National Championship. [And don’t listen to that utter hogwash “but he won with Pitino’s players.” To a man each of those players said they wanted to win it for Tubby. I truly don’t believe Rick Pitino would have won with that team].
Tubby obviously won a lot of hearts and minds that year, and beyond, with very good teams that twice just barely missed the final four. With SEC dominance, TWO number one seeds in 2004 and 2005, a humble personality and bottomless generosity he was a winner both on and off the court
Yet recruiting deficiencies dogged him the last few years. His very first year of recruiting held a foreboding experience: the nation’s top center, John Stewart, died before he was to enter school. Tubby handled that with class, just as he did everything, by having the family come down for a memorial game in his John’s honor—it was very touching.
--------------------------------------------
After the 2005 season, missing yet another Final Four by suffering a heartbreaking double OT loss to Michigan State, it got bumpier. Tubby had only one really good (on paper) recruiting class in four years—this year’s juniors—but they turned out to be a bad fit or plain over-rated. Two of them wanted to go pro (Randolph Morris and Rajon Rondo, a third tried to transfer (Joe Crawford). The two classes ahead of them lacked the kind of Prince or Bogans talent Kentucky needed, and the sophomore class is non-existent, the only player (Jared Carter) injured for the season.
Personally I would like to have asked:
1) "What's happened with recruiting? Not only the problems mentioned above but also the players that stay don't seem to exhibit true love and teamwork like your earlier teams. There was "team turmoil" and other inter-player issues about every year."
2) “Why have the teams been so out of sync on offense the last few years. No screens, no pick-and-rolls or backdoor cuts, errant passes, incessant dribbling. Your earlier teams were masters at great teamwork offense. Is the current failure a function of your coaching or that of your assistants--or is it just a lack of talent? And why don’t we guard the three like we used to?”
It’s academic now, but there remains an unresolved issue: the national media’s inaccurate portrait of the Kentucky fan base. We are painted as the cause for Tubby’s departure, as being ungrateful, impossible-to-please fans with highly mis-placed priorities.
The truth is that there was never more grumbling over Tubby than there was with Pitino—even as he was winning Championships—over his constant overtures to going to the NBA. Yes, there was grumbling over 10-loss seasons and the lack of Final Fours, but there has always been way more support FOR Tubby than against, even after this season ended. Jim Rome really nailed it, absolving the UK fans in the process http://www.jimrome.com/home.html.
---------------------------------------------
Now I read something today in the Louisville Courier-Journal that should have been apparent to all: Tubby’s deal with Minnesota was months in the making. As early as December sources told the Minnesota AD, Joel Maturi, that Tubby might be interested in a change. Maturi then spoke with search firm, Dan Parker Associates, who then got Maturi and Tubby’s agent, Ricky Lefft, together. They apparently hammered out a deal over the last SEVEN weeks, and when it was all but signed Maturi called Kentucky AD, Mitch Barnhart for official permission to speak with Tubby, which he did on Thursday.
Please keep in mind there was NO grumbling back in December. Kentucky had just beaten their fiercest rivals, Louisville and Indiana, and there was hope for a great season. But even then Tubby was apparently looking for a new opportunity.
Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, and what meetings Tubby had with AD Barnhart, but it certainly did not help that Barnhart gave less than solid public assurances that he even wanted Tubby to stay by saying he’d review the situation with Tubby at season’s end, and also that changes would be in order. No coach with any self-respect, especially one as accomplished as Tubby Smith could or should be made to suffer that kind of micro-managed meddling over staffing.
On the other hand Tubby did promise to make changes after the lackluster 2006 season, but none were made. So fans were understandably confused, especially when the product on the court didn’t seem to be improving.
So why did he leave? Perhaps Tubby didn’t care for Barnhart’s apparent lack of support or perhaps he really did listen to the call-in shows, although he says he never did.
Or, perhaps he saw the dismal prospects next season and beyond if his two prized recruits (Patrick Patterson and Jai Lucas) spurned his offer. Neither would commit (why??). And word was Morris, the ONLY inside presence, was going pro.
In Minnesota he saw an opportunity to escape from a little-to-win-lot-to-lose situation (where he had just received a $1.5 million bonus for staying ten years) to a place with a great contract, an ELATED fan base and nothing but upside!
No, Kentucky's fans most assuredly did not force Tubby out and he has said as much also adding that he hopes the day comes when Minnesota fans have that kind of expectations.
In the end it works out great for him and I join all Kentucky fans in wishing him Godspeed. We hope that it works out as swimmingly for our wonderful University and fan base as it does for him.
I know it will. We are Kentucky. We’re humans with heartfelt passion, but in the end humans with class as well.
Richard F. Dawahare 3/24/07
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