Tubby to Stay at U: Here’s Why
A supportive statement this month by
Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow for coach Gary Williams
may have temporarily sidelined speculation that the Gophers’
Tubby Smith
might succeed Williams. Yow didn’t, of course, refer to Smith or other
coaches in her statement but did express optimism about the future of
Maryland basketball where Williams, who won the 2002 national
championship, has more than three years remaining on his contract.
Those concerned about Smith leaving
Minnesota have been worried that he will go to Maryland even more than the
other schools believed to have interest in him, including Arizona and
Alabama. Smith grew up in Maryland where his elderly parents still
reside.
Home ties with family and memories, plus
coaching the Terps in America’s premier basketball league, the Atlantic
Coast Conference, with access to the talent load of prep players on the
east coast could tempt many coaches. Then, too, at least some of the
Smith family living here doesn’t care for the cold winters and College
Park might seem almost tropical compared to Minneapolis.
But hold on. The opinion here is Smith
isn’t leaving Minnesota anytime soon. By all indications, he likes the
people a lot including those he works for and with. He’s also well paid
with guaranteed compensation of $1,775,000, plus an incentive package
that can put him over $2 million.
The richer among athletic departments
could afford to pay Smith considerably more than he earns here and the
Gophers are unlikely to enter a bidding war. However, Smith earns big
time compensation at Minnesota and with the imploding economy, including
the impact on college athletic department budgets, even the wealthier
programs could be more reluctant to spend exorbitant money on coaches’
salaries than in normal times.
Smith is a principled guy and he’s made a
commitment to two recruiting classes since arriving at Minnesota. A
jump to someplace else so soon would leave a lot of disappointment among
players and others.
The coach is excited about the future here
with the talent he’s attracting and the program being built. His first
two recruiting classes have been ranked among the top 25 in the country.
His second season has been a success so far with a 19-5 record
following last season’s 20-14.
While his family may not be crazy about
the weather and had to learn about a new town and building relationships
where there were none before, they’ve got to love the friendly reception
Smith has received here. At Kentucky Smith was a punching bag for
disgruntled and wacky fans. Here he’s revered, with even the student
section waving their arms prior to games in mock worship.
There never will be the pressure and
scrutiny with the Gophers that Smith faced at Kentucky. Other big time
programs like Arizona could include similar stress, much more so than
Minneapolis where there are so many other college and pro sports teams
to deflect attention from Gophers basketball.
Smith has a better opportunity to have
successful teams in the Big Ten than the ACC where Duke and North
Carolina rule year after year. The ACC is crazy good while the Big Ten
is so-so, with only one national power program, Michigan State. There’s
plenty of room at the top.
So it makes a lot of sense to believe
Smith will stay here. And by the way, if he does leave, it doesn’t make
much sense that former Gopher player and assistant coach Flip
Saunders will succeed him. Seems like if he really wanted to coach
at his alma mater, he would have found his way to Dinkytown during the
last 10 years when at least twice his name has been linked to the job.
Perhaps Saunders will end up coaching the Sacramento Kings where he
would be back in the NBA commanding a salary more than double (at least)
what the Gophers could pay and also bolstering his league pension.
