Tubby Smith to Coach Gophers Men’s Basketball Team

Tubby Smith, who coached the University of Kentucky to the national championship in 1998, will be named head coach of the University of Minnesota men’s basketball team, according to multiple reports.

Smith took Kentucky to the NCAA tournament in each of the 10 years he coached, most recently this year, when the Wildcats lost to Kansas in the second round.  Smith, who also has coached at Tulsa and Georgia, has compiled a 387-145 record over his 16 seasons as a head coach, taking teams to the NCAA tournament fourteen times.

The University of Minnesota fired men’s coach Dan Monson earlier this year.  The Gophers ultimately ended up finishing just 9-22 this season under Monson and interim coach Dan Molinari.  Monson was credited with cleaning up the program after academic violations occurred under his predecessor, Clem Haskins.

Smith was under pressure at Kentucky, one of the elite programs in the country.  Despite leading the Wildcats to the Elite Eight three times in the past nine years, Smith had not taken the Wildcats to the Final Four since his inaugural season with the team.  Although he had four years remaining on his contract, it was expected that if he returned next year, he would need to win or else.Smith takes over a once-proud franchise that has seen its share of controversy.  The Gophers won the Big Ten title in 1997, and went to the Final Four before losing to Kentucky in the semifinals.  But both accomplishments were later voided after it was revealed that players had been cheating to remain academically eligible, including having papers written for them by academic tutors. 

Since the violations were revealed in 1999, the team has been mediocre at best, making only one brief appearance in the 2005 NCAA tournament, and not winning a single game in the tourney during that time.