Tubby Smith’s statements about his future as Minnesota’s basketball coach satisfy Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi. During an interview with Sports Headliners on Saturday, Maturi also said that if Smith does leave it will probably not be because of compensation, and that the athletic department wants to build a new practice facility “sooner rather than later” but the planning and approval process is just developing.
Smith’s job status is speculated about locally and nationally almost daily. A former national championship coach at Kentucky who is under contract at Minnesota and has finished two seasons here, Smith’s name has been rumored with job vacancies this year at multiple schools, the latest being Virginia. Smith has coaching and personal ties to the state of Virginia but has said repeatedly he’s “happy” at Minnesota.
Charlottesville TV station WVIR quoted Smith last Wednesday on its Website as saying: “I have a job, I have a great job. We’re enjoying Minnesota. We have no reason to be looking at anything else, and we’re very happy where we are. It’s flattering sometimes but it can be a distraction. It’s good to be wanted, but it’s more important to be needed. I feel like I’m not only wanted at Minnesota, but needed there as well.”
That statement, or a similar one, may not satisfy someone who wants Smith, 57, to say Minnesota will be his last coaching job. “He’s made the statement that he’s happy at Minnesota and is going to stay, and I believe that,” Maturi said. “We’ve made the statement that we’re ecstatic to have him here and we’re going to do everything we can to keep him. ..”
Maturi said he will never instruct his coaches regarding statements in these circumstances. Could Smith make even a stronger statement? “What stronger statement can you make? That’s not for me to do,” Maturi said. “Tubby and I have spoken. I think he’s happy at Minnesota. I think he believes he can be successful at Minnesota. I think he believes that we’re committed and that we have kept our word in what we’re going to do. ..”
When Smith was hired Maturi said there was discussion about a new practice facility, the kind many powerful basketball programs already have. Such a facility is both of practical use and a resource to impress recruits. Maturi said there’s no decision yet where such a facility will be and how much it will cost. “To say it’s green lighted would be not fair to the process but to say that we’re committed to getting this done would be accurate,” he said.
It’s believed another school could offer Smith salary and other incentives totaling $3 million or more. At Minnesota, Smith’s total package can pay him more than $2 million and for this year his guaranteed compensation is $1,775,000. Maturi doesn’t think Smith will leave for more money but that if the coach felt a lack of commitment and support he would. Potentially that could include frustration with facilities, recruiting budgets and staff salaries, but Maturi didn’t say these are presently issues.
The University has a salary freeze and even in better times the financially challenged athletic department isn’t believed to be in position for a bidding war against the richest of schools to keep its basketball and football coaches. “We have to be sensitive to all of the economy,” Maturi said. “We have to be sensitive to all of the University and I think coach Smith understands that.”