Tubby Smith Leaving UK

[Storm]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='461217' date='Mar 23 2007, 03:34 PM'][url="http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/sports/stories/2007/03/23/osu_notes23.ART_ART_03-23-07_G12_D165Q6G.html"]http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/s...12_D165Q6G.html[/url]
I also read somewhere that if he takes them to the Elite 8, Final 4... ect, that his other
bonuses and stuff kick in.[/quote]



Anyone hear Thads resonse to the media when asked about the UK job? He didn't rule it out, he said he's only worried about Memphis right now

[Storm]

[quote name='Ben' post='461847' date='Mar 24 2007, 08:12 PM']Thad not interested in UK?
Akron Beacon Journal
[b]Matta said Friday that he wouldn't talk to the University of Kentucky if the Wildcats [/b]called seeking a replacement for Tubby Smith, who took the Minnesota job Thursday.
"I love the path that we're on to do what we set out to do when we came here, and that was to build a championship-caliber basketball team,'' Matta said. ``In three years, we won two Big Ten championships, we've been the two seed and the one seed in this tournament. I love where we are in regards to recruiting.''
When pressed on whether he would talk to Kentucky, Matta said no.[/quote]



He has to say that, Thad has a clause in his contract that says he can't talk to any other BB program. If he publicly states that he did, will or might then he would be in breach of contract, doesn't mean that he won't though

[Bengals_12th_Man]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='461759' date='Mar 24 2007, 10:19 AM']Well 12th, you gotta look at their resumes.

Thad has coached the Buckeys for 3 seasons.
Tubby coached the Wildcats for 10.
Since Tubby became the coach of the Wildcats,
only 2 coaches in the NCAA had won more games,
Coach K and Jim Calhoun. Both of those coaches
are institutions are their schools. Tubby wasn`t "worthy".

Considering that Thad has only been coaching the Buckeyes for 3 seasons,
hasn`t won a Championship or been to the Final 4 (YET), he is
getting paid pretty damn close to what Tubby was making.
Anyway, we shall see if Kentucky is interested in Thad, or if Thad is interested in Kentucky...
[url="http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18122272&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46370&rfi=6"]http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cf...46370&rfi=6[/url][/quote]


I understand what you mean, but you have to consider more than just that. Also, Tubby's contract was signed 4 years prior to Matta's. His contract even with that time span is still the highest in all of college basketball. I'm not sure why Matta's contract is the subject to discussion on a "Tubby leaves UK" thread. Is he paid well? Of course. Is he paid as well as Tubby? Of course not. Where you're taking this discussion is strictly conjecture and stipulation. We both could argue until we're blue in the face (pun intended) and get no where. You say that he's young in his career and is paid "better" because of it, I say that flat out $$$ speaks more to me than anything else on this subject.



From what I've seen he's not even a candidate for the position anyways, so why argue it?


[url="http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=655927"]http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=655927[/url]

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='Bengals_12th_Man' post='461922' date='Mar 24 2007, 05:25 PM']I understand what you mean, but you have to consider more than just that. Also, Tubby's contract was signed 4 years prior to Matta's. His contract even with that time span is still the highest in all of college basketball. I'm not sure why Matta's contract is the subject to discussion on a "Tubby leaves UK" thread. Is he paid well? Of course. Is he paid as well as Tubby? Of course not.
From what I've seen, he's not even a candidate for the position.
[url="http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=655927"]http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=655927[/url][/quote]
I seriously don't want Thad Motta. Is he related to Eddie Sutton in terms of being a liar? Brothers seperated at birth? Anything?

[Bengals_12th_Man]

[quote name='Bunghole' post='461926' date='Mar 24 2007, 07:34 PM']I seriously don't want Thad Motta. Is he related to Eddie Sutton in terms of being a liar? Brothers seperated at birth? Anything?[/quote]

I know what you mean.

[Storm]

[quote name='Bunghole' post='461926' date='Mar 24 2007, 11:34 PM']I seriously don't want Thad Motta. Is he related to Eddie Sutton in terms of being a liar? Brothers seperated at birth? Anything?[/quote]


Not sure if anyones been paying attention lately but college coaches have been lying like crazy lately, If Tubby was asked last week if he was talking to Minnesota pretty likey he would have lied too.

[scharm]

[quote name='cwing' post='461834' date='Mar 24 2007, 02:59 PM']I agree Tubby was a top up and comer ------- Pitino on the other hand was a proven coach with NBA and final four expereince...........

If I'm not mistaken. Joe B was a Rupp long time assistent.[/quote]

Pitino was not like Billy D and Izzo today. He wasn't among the highest paid coaches while performing in a top conference with a National Championship to his name.

Pitino was considered a NBA cast off at the time. It was almost PJ Carlissamo (SP) who got the job.

Pitino was no where near the coaching legend he is today before he took the Kentucky job.

My point Kentucky helped make those guys and if they hire another lesser name coach it will be fun watching him begin the march against the top coaches today.

[cwing]

[quote name='Bunghole' post='461875' date='Mar 24 2007, 04:32 PM']Wow, really? I didn't know that! I always thought that Rondo, while talented, was always a step away from leaving so you couldn't count on his ongoing contributions.
I liked Patrick Sparks. Hopefully he has chosen less of a slut as a girlfriend.[/quote]

That is the way I hear it. sparks and the girl were engaged and it completely divided the team !!!!!!!!

It is a long story but I was lucky enough to get tickets for the senior night game against Georga. It was a business meeting/event. I had my choice of sitting behind the bench, court side on one of the ends or 15 rolls up center court.

I knew know of this until I got there. We'd been having dinner with a group of persons --------- one being UK's LARGEST money contributer. His personal jet was fying in two recuits for that game -------- no it is not a violation as long as the visits are scheduled. They were scheduled.

I was told the Sparks story and was told that everyone would be better off if Tubby decided to leave. Tubby and UK would benefit.

[Guest oldschooler]

[quote]Peter Kerasotis:
[size=5][b]Ol' Kentucky home beckons Billy[/b][/size]

Go, Billy.

Go to Kentucky.

Go now, with the door and arms wide open.

This is your destiny, your calling, your birthright, your opportunity.

You know what time it is, Billy?

The time is now.

Tubby Smith has motored to Minnesota, leaving behind the keys to the kingdom of college basketball that is Kentucky.

Is there is a better program with better tradition, history, aura, passionate fans? If Kentucky isn't the best, then it's definitely in the final four (pun intended).

Go, Billy.

Go to Kentucky.

Let me tell you a little story about Billy Donovan and his first SEC Tournament as the Florida Gators basketball coach. This was 11 years ago, and a huge contingent of Kentucky fans waited for him to emerge from the Georgia Dome tunnel.

Florida wasn't even playing Kentucky that day. Didn't matter. Billy D, or Billy the Kid, as he was still called then, was a former Kentucky assistant coach. Spent five years at UK. Helped Rick Pitino win a national championship.

You know what that means, don't you? It means that no matter where Billy had been, where he was going or even where he was at, Kentucky was always home. His blood would always be blue.

Kentucky blue.

That's why, when Billy emerged from the tunnel that day, the head coach of a truly pedestrian Gator basketball team, a roar erupted. Fans stood, clapped, cheered.

Guess what?

It was the Kentucky fans.

Now think of the cheer that Billy would hear if, after winning back-to-back national championships at Florida, he announced he's headed to bluer pastures.

Go, Billy.

Go to Kentucky.

Don't think it'll happen? Don't be so smug. A lot of Gator fans are acting that way today. Smug. They think that Florida is actually a better place to coach college basketball than Kentucky.

It isn't.

Goodness, have you been to the O'Connell Center lately? It feels like the old Florida Gym -- i.e. Alligator Alley -- did back in the '70s. In other words, ancient.

Kentucky's Rupp Arena is almost twice the size. And, of course, almost twice as loud.

It's also named the Rupp Arena because Kentucky has something Florida doesn't. It has tradition, history. Rupp Arena is named after legendary coach Adolph Rupp. The O'Connell Center is named after, um, a former UF president.

But it isn't just the arena that's bigger. It's the fan base. Basketball is king in Kentucky. The state has no professional sports and no college football to speak of. Oh, Louisville every so often will put together a solid season with the pigskin. But you know what I'm talking about. When you think of Kentucky, you think of horses and hoops, though not necessarily in that order.

Florida is a football state. It also has three NFL teams, two MLB teams, two NHL teams and two NBA teams . . . well, two if you still want to count the Orlando Magic.

But I'll give you one, indisputable reason why Kentucky basketball is still bigger than Florida. The rationale follows the same logic people are advancing as to why Billy would stay at Florida. And you know what I'm talking about. People are saying Billy would never leave Florida for Kentucky because there's less pressure at Florida.

Well, what does that tell you? It tells me Kentucky is more passionate about basketball than Florida. Less pressure means less expectations. Less interest.

And to say that Billy Donovan would shy away from pressure does him a disservice. If you think the man is afraid of pressure, then you really don't know the man. If he can win two national championships at Florida, then how many do you think that he thinks he could win at Kentucky? Pressure? The man eats it for breakfast.

Interesting, then, that we're 72 hours away from Tubby Smith announcing his departure, and Billy Donovan still hasn't issued a statement saying he's not interested in Kentucky. Instead, after beating Butler on Friday night, Billy fumbled around while trying to fend off questions about Kentucky, looking about as comfortable as a man in a burlap suit.

"I'm not in control of their decision-making process," he said.

Au contraire. He is in total control. We'd all be fools to think that Kentucky's list of coaching candidates doesn't start with Billy Donovan, and then work its way down.

Go, Billy.

Go to Kentucky.

The flip side of all this is that pressure and expectations are precisely the reason why the time is now for Billy D to head to Kentucky.

Have we forgotten that it was barely more than a year ago when so many Gator fans were saying that Billy's time was up at Florida? Couldn't get out of the second round of the NCAA Tournament came the constant criticism.

And have we forgotten how angry Billy was with Florida's fan base when the sniping came after he lost to Manhattan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament back in 2003? He retreated to his beach home after that season. Later, Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley openly talked about how he thought he'd lost Billy, that surely he was going to leave.

He didn't. But do you think he's forgotten?

Sure, Kentucky fans are arrogant, but it's not like Florida fans have cornered the market on humility, either.

Billy was around when Steve Spurrier was winning SEC football championships for UF with alarming efficiency. Yet, toward the end, Spurrier often talked about how there was no pleasing Florida's fan base anymore. They'd become spoiled.

After his father died, I was sitting with Spurrier in his office, listening as he related stories about his dad. His father had been a minister, and Spurrier equated his dad's profession to his.

"If you're a preacher, after awhile the congregation gets a little tired of your sermons," he said. "That's why it's good to move around, not stay in one place too long. It's the same with coaching. They get tired of you. You shouldn't stay in one place too long."

Less than a year after that conversation, Spurrier bolted Florida for the NFL.

Digger Phelps, the former college basketball coach-turned ESPN analyst, echoed those same sentiments the other night on TV.

"I tell coaches all the time," Phelps said, "that seven to 10 years at one program is long enough. Then it's time to move on."

Billy's been at Florida 11 years.

Time to go.

Go, Billy.

Go to Kentucky.[/quote]



[url="http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/COLUMNISTS0306/703250334/1065/SPORTS"]http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...334/1065/SPORTS[/url]

[Storm]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='462021' date='Mar 25 2007, 02:20 PM'][url="http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/COLUMNISTS0306/703250334/1065/SPORTS"]http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...334/1065/SPORTS[/url][/quote]


I'd be happy to get Billy

or Thad Matta

I think they both can recruit but Thad is a better in game coach imo

[JC]

If Billy goes to KY...which i doubt he would..they are almost guarenteed to get Patterson.

And Kentucky has as good as chance to getting Matta as they do getting coach K.

[Storm]

[quote name='JC' post='462049' date='Mar 25 2007, 03:16 PM']If Billy goes to KY...which i doubt he would..they are almost guarenteed to get Patterson.

And Kentucky has as good as chance to getting Matta as they do getting coach K.[/quote]


Theres not a single UK fan who would want that Rat Coach K

[JC]

[quote name='Storm' post='462103' date='Mar 25 2007, 12:10 PM']Theres not a single UK fan who would want that Rat Coach K[/quote]
hahahahahahahah

well there wouldn't be a chance K would go there anyways. Thats already evident. But i was pointing out theres no way Matta goes to Ky with Oden cook and conley still there.

[Guest A-Men-HouseofPain]

[quote name='Storm' post='462024' date='Mar 25 2007, 10:32 AM']I'd be happy to get Billy

or Thad Matta

[b]I think they both can recruit but Thad is a better in game coach imo[/b][/quote]
what? Thad is a horrible in game coach. That is why i disliked him at Xavier. He blew ass on the sidelines. He can recruit very well, but he doesnt coach on the bench too good.

[Storm]

[quote name='A-Men-HouseofPain' post='462145' date='Mar 25 2007, 05:31 PM']what? Thad is a horrible in game coach. That is why i disliked him at Xavier. He blew ass on the sidelines. He can recruit very well, but he doesnt coach on the bench too good.[/quote]


Have you been watching the games

[scharm]

Best thing about Lane's End Stakes yesterday was the constant talking about UK's next coach.

Of course several people "Billy is already a done deal" according to their insider.

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='scharm' post='462215' date='Mar 25 2007, 02:14 PM']Best thing about Lane's End Stakes yesterday was the constant talking about UK's next coach.

Of course several people "Billy is already a done deal" according to their insider.[/quote]
I keep waffling on this. I know Donovan is a very good coach, but I can't help but hate him, because he coaches the Gators and because his hair reminds me of Lt Hauk from "Good Morning Vietnam"

[cwing]

[quote name='Ben' post='461847' date='Mar 24 2007, 03:12 PM']Thad not interested in UK?
Akron Beacon Journal
Matta said Friday that he wouldn't talk to the University of Kentucky if the Wildcats called seeking a replacement for Tubby Smith, who took the Minnesota job Thursday.
"I love the path that we're on to do what we set out to do when we came here, and that was to build a championship-caliber basketball team,'' Matta said. ``In three years, we won two Big Ten championships, we've been the two seed and the one seed in this tournament. I love where we are in regards to recruiting.''
When pressed on whether he would talk to Kentucky, Matta said no.[/quote]

Thad was not interested in leaving X either -------- he went on the airways with Lance and said he was staying and said "I am NOT leaving to go to OSU". He spoke of more than life than money and blah, blah, blah ----- I'm happy at X, blah, blah, blah.

This crushed Lance as they were buddies and Lance beleived 100% that Thad was not BSing him. We all know what happened next -------- don't we !!!

Again ------ I do not beleive thad is a candiate. I bel;eive it is Billy D first, John Cap. 2nd and Creen may be 3rd in line. Make no mistake --------- this is Billy D's job if he wants it !!!!!!!

[Guest LeakyBengal]

Don't want Thad. Thad is only successful because he is at that cheating school OSU. We want Billy the Kid.

[Guest A-Men-HouseofPain]

[quote name='Storm' post='462186' date='Mar 25 2007, 02:24 PM']Have you been watching the games[/quote]
yea. i have seen conley step up himself and a few guys hit key 3's. last time i checked, those arent done by coaching. not to mention i saw thad suck at X too.

[Guest oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]Florida president: 'We're not going to lose' Donovan [/b][/size]

From Florida Today and C-J Dispatches



University of Florida President Bernie Machen said he had no problem if the University of Kentucky wants to talk to Billy Donovan about its vacant basketball coaching job.

But the Wildcats better be ready for a battle.

"I'm sure Kentucky, if they want, would make an incredible offer to him," Machen said in St. Louis after Florida's 85-77 win over Oregon yesterday lifted the Gators into the Final Four. "But we have ways of making our own offer, and we have the Gator fans. We want what's best for Billy. We believe he'll be a Gator."

Donovan was an assistant for five years at UK. But in 11 years in Gainesville, he's built the Gators into a powerhouse and the school is currently working on a substantial contract extension. Donovan declined more money after last year's national championship when Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer elected to stay in school.

"We've been working on it for a year now, (athletic director) Jeremy (Foley), he and I," Machen said. "We have had conversations, and we all know where we stand on it."

Machen said Donovan "owes it" to himself to listen to UK officials if there's an invitation to replace Tubby Smith, who left the Cats for Minnesota.

"But," he warned, "we're not going to lose him to anybody. One thing about Jeremy and all of our coaches is there is a level of trust. We could have (finished an extension) earlier, but the fact that Billy and Jeremy trust each other, I think that's why there hasn't been (any hurry)."

Asked where he felt Donovan would be next fall, Machen didn't flinch.

"A Gator."

[b]Calipari says he has 'no interest' in another job[/b]

Memphis coach John Calipari was quoted in the Commercial-Appeal yesterday saying that he wasn't looking at any other coaching job.

Calipari did not specifically mention the possibility of replacing Smith at UK.

The Memphis newspaper reported that Calipari was asked about other jobs after his team's 92-76 loss to Ohio State Saturday in the NCAA South Regional final.

The story said that Calipari offered an "emphatic" response.

"I have no interest in another job," the story quoted Calipari as saying. "I'm coaching the University of Memphis, and that's where I want to coach. I don't have any other interest in any other job. ... We've got a great thing going."[/quote]


[url="http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/SPORTS03/703260489/1002"]http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.d.../703260489/1002[/url]

[scharm]

[quote name='Bunghole' post='462220' date='Mar 25 2007, 04:30 PM']I keep waffling on this. I know Donovan is a very good coach, but I can't help but hate him, because he coaches the Gators and because his hair reminds me of Lt Hauk from "Good Morning Vietnam"[/quote]

I think he looks like Eddie Munster.

I keep going back and forth too. Kentucky isn't going anywhere regardless of the name recognition of the coach. I'd almost like to get a strong up and coming coach with very little national name recognition and watch them build themselves into a top 5 coach and be somebody Kentucky can claim as their own.

Like Travis Ford or somebody.

Of course getting Billy D or Thad takes out the guess work (and some of the fun) and expectations are going to be sky high right at the begining.

Either way I'll enjoy the march for No. 8.

[Storm]

[quote name='scharm' post='462507' date='Mar 26 2007, 02:49 PM']I think he looks like Eddie Munster.

I keep going back and forth too. Kentucky isn't going anywhere regardless of the name recognition of the coach. I'd almost like to get a strong up and coming coach with very little national name recognition and watch them build themselves into a top 5 coach and be somebody Kentucky can claim as their own.

Like Travis Ford or somebody.

Of course getting Billy D or Thad takes out the guess work (and some of the fun) and expectations are going to be sky high right at the begining.

Either way I'll enjoy the march for No. 8.[/quote]


Part of me would like to see what Travis Ford could do but I'm impatient and worried about his possible failure, if he was to fail how long would we have to wait before he was replaced? I'd be afraid we would stick with him too long on the other hand we know what Donovan or Matta could do and they could do it in a hurry.

[Guest bengalrick]

[quote name='Storm' post='462597' date='Mar 26 2007, 02:43 PM']Part of me would like to see what Travis Ford could do but I'm impatient and worried about his possible failure, if he was to fail how long would we have to wait before he was replaced? I'd be afraid we would stick with him too long on the other hand we know what Donovan or Matta could do and they could do it in a hurry.[/quote]

i don't think there is much to worry about w/ ford... i think he will be a GREAT coach for years to come...


but i'd love to have donavan too

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='scharm' post='462507' date='Mar 26 2007, 08:49 AM']I think he looks like Eddie Munster.

I keep going back and forth too. Kentucky isn't going anywhere regardless of the name recognition of the coach. I'd almost like to get a strong up and coming coach with very little national name recognition and watch them build themselves into a top 5 coach and be somebody Kentucky can claim as their own.

Like Travis Ford or somebody.

Of course getting Billy D or Thad takes out the guess work (and some of the fun) and expectations are going to be sky high right at the begining.

Either way I'll enjoy the march for No. 8.[/quote]
Like I said in a previous post, I believe that Travis Ford can be the [i]next[/i] Billy Donovan, if he can in fact get an opportunity to coach and recruit at a bigger school, and I'm sure he's keenly aware of the pressures of playing/coaching for UK. Plus you have the added benefit of the feel good story of prodigal son returning home, etc.