Gopher athletic director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners that Tubby Smith, who was named men’s basketball coach in late March, hasn’t signed his contract but he’s not concerned. Lawyers representing both sides are finalizing it and the basics have been agreed to, according to Maturi.
Earlier this year Smith signed a memorandum of agreement and is being paid by the University. Maturi said among points agreed to is that Smith will have a seven year contract to coach the Gophers.
In addition to salary for Smith and his assistants, the athletic department is “increasing our budget significantly” for men’s basketball, according to Maturi. “We’ve made a commitment we’ve never made before,” he said. As an example the Gophers will be flying via charter aircraft to games.
Smith wants a separate practice facility, not Williams Arena, for his team. It’s not unusual for big-time college programs to have a practice site other than the place where games are played. Maturi recognizes the value in the Gophers having a facility where they can practice, have weight training facilities and staff offices.
The project, though, is likely to wait, Maturi said, until fund-raising for the new football stadium is completed in perhaps two years. He qualified that timeline if an unexpected donor were to step forward.
Maturi is excited to have a proven coach like Smith who won a national championship at Kentucky. The Gophers open their schedule with a home exhibition game on Thursday, November 1 against Minnesota State Mankato. Smith, who won five Southeastern Conference titles at Kentucky and had four teams in the elite eight of the NCAA tournament, will be working to improve a Gopher team that was 9-22 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten Conference last season.