ADVERTISEMENT

Tubster out at Memphis

Frank Martin was not amused




A Youth Football coaching LEGEND backed up the decision though so all is good


From the Penny to Memphis thread. Post #31

"But Smith’s dismissal is more related to off-court factors than the on-court product.

Attendance at home games fell to a 48-year low this year. As a result, the athletic department could miss out on an $800,000 payment from the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the school’s lease at FedExForum.

Donations to the athletic department also fell by $1.1 million during the 2016-17 fiscal year thanks in large part to a drop in men’s basketball season ticket sales."
 
Those RACISTS! UK started being called racists when they let him go, but to date they remain the only ones that let him go to hold that accusation. Fire up the propaganda machine!
 
Those RACISTS! UK started being called racists when they let him go, but to date they remain the only one9s that let him go to hold that accusation. Fire up the propaganda machine!
Yep. And we didn't even fire him. He left on his own. **** the national media. Nobody here gave a shit that he was black. We gave a shit that he lost 10 games damn near every year. Unnacceptable at Kentucky.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KYtotheCore
Those RACISTS! UK started being called racists when they let him go, but to date they remain the only ones that let him go to hold that accusation. Fire up the propaganda machine!
I do not think race had anything to do with UK and Tubby parting ways. BUT........Maybe Memphis isn't getting the "racist" treatment for firing Tubby b/c they've had 4 black HEAD coaches. UK has had one. Maybe that has something to do with? Maybe?
 
There were definitely some redneck UK fans totally opposed to Tubby Smith from day 1 entirely due to race. Have no problem admitting this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: asindc
I do not think race had anything to do with UK and Tubby parting ways. BUT........Maybe Memphis isn't getting the "racist" treatment for firing Tubby b/c they've had 4 black HEAD coaches. UK has had one. Maybe that has something to do with? Maybe?
Crazy to think there are some teams out there who still have never had an African American head coach.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IUfanBorden
Crazy to think there are some teams out there who still have never had an African American head coach.
True, but it kind of depends. I think it is more difficult with top tier programs. If you're a Kentucky, Kansas, DUKE, or North Carolina, you're hiring the best most accomplished coaches. There are only so many African American candidates who meet these criteria. Not to mention that some of those schools rarely replace coaches. I mean, KU has only had 3 coaches since the 70s. How long has K been at DUKE? Izzo at MSU? Top programs, so long as they make a good decision on the coach, can expect to hold on to that coach for a very long time.
 
I think there is something odd about Tubby Smith never being able to hold on to a job, despite having success on the court. All he ever does is turn programs around. He must have a personality that is difficult to get along with.

The biggest head scratcher is Minnesota letting him go after a loss in the NCAA tournament. I mean...what did they expect out of him? Final Four runs? They're Minnesota. The fact that he had them competing and even getting to the NCAA tournament was an accomplishment in itself. They made a mistake letting him go. He turned TT around and personally I believe was a big part in the season they're having, as he recruited that core group of players. But he left of his own volition there. Now he's at Memphis, and they have the best season they've had in 4 or 5 years. His track record shows that seasons 3 and 4 he will have his program hitting on all cylinders, they should have been patient. They could have had something good with him. I think Calipari spoiled Memphis fans and got them to thinking their program is better than it is.

Tubby is very good at developing players and coaching them up. Where he lacks is recruiting. So I think he may be a guy who would be a poor choice(not terrible, but not great) at a top tier program, but imo he's a home run hire at a mid-range program.
 
There were definitely some redneck UK fans totally opposed to Tubby Smith from day 1 entirely due to race. Have no problem admitting this.

There are always a few dolts in every fanbase. But 99% of fans simply want a guy who will win, and they could care less what he looks like or even what sky daddy he calls on.

I never remember anybody accusing Kentucky of racism for Tubby Smith leaving. Who said that?

There were a few, there are always a few. Controversy brings eyeballs, which means higher ratings, which means $. It is what it is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: treyforuk
This firing is interested. Tubby did what he was supposed to do on the court. Pitt fans would sure take Memphis' run from the last 2 seasons. If you're firing him for attendance reasons, then hopefully folks in the Marketing Dept. are also losing their jobs as well. Tubby didn't walk into a great situation and now Penny is taking over with no head coaching experience? Ok, he may get the fans to come out and may steal a couple of recruits, but what if it doesn't translate to wins? I have an issue with this hiring. Penny has no college coaching experience.
 
I think there is something odd about Tubby Smith never being able to hold on to a job, despite having success on the court. All he ever does is turn programs around. He must have a personality that is difficult to get along with.

The biggest head scratcher is Minnesota letting him go after a loss in the NCAA tournament. I mean...what did they expect out of him? Final Four runs? They're Minnesota. The fact that he had them competing and even getting to the NCAA tournament was an accomplishment in itself. They made a mistake letting him go. He turned TT around and personally I believe was a big part in the season they're having, as he recruited that core group of players. But he left of his own volition there. Now he's at Memphis, and they have the best season they've had in 4 or 5 years. His track record shows that seasons 3 and 4 he will have his program hitting on all cylinders, they should have been patient. They could have had something good with him. I think Calipari spoiled Memphis fans and got them to thinking their program is better than it is.

Tubby is very good at developing players and coaching them up. Where he lacks is recruiting. So I think he may be a guy who would be a poor choice(not terrible, but not great) at a top tier program, but imo he's a home run hire at a mid-range program.

It’s probably due to him keeping his creepy looking son that can’t land a job on his own around. I’d rather cut ties with tubby than have too look at that weird looking dude every day too to be honest lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deathclutch
I think there is something odd about Tubby Smith never being able to hold on to a job, despite having success on the court. All he ever does is turn programs around. He must have a personality that is difficult to get along with.

The biggest head scratcher is Minnesota letting him go after a loss in the NCAA tournament. I mean...what did they expect out of him? Final Four runs? They're Minnesota. The fact that he had them competing and even getting to the NCAA tournament was an accomplishment in itself. They made a mistake letting him go. He turned TT around and personally I believe was a big part in the season they're having, as he recruited that core group of players. But he left of his own volition there. Now he's at Memphis, and they have the best season they've had in 4 or 5 years. His track record shows that seasons 3 and 4 he will have his program hitting on all cylinders, they should have been patient. They could have had something good with him. I think Calipari spoiled Memphis fans and got them to thinking their program is better than it is.

Tubby is very good at developing players and coaching them up. Where he lacks is recruiting. So I think he may be a guy who would be a poor choice(not terrible, but not great) at a top tier program, but imo he's a home run hire at a mid-range program.

His effort on the recruiting trail was getting really bad here at Minnesota. His last two classes were pretty dreadful. His teams also peaked in non-conference and took nosedives in conference play.
 
From the Penny to Memphis thread. Post #31

"But Smith’s dismissal is more related to off-court factors than the on-court product.

Attendance at home games fell to a 48-year low this year. As a result, the athletic department could miss out on an $800,000 payment from the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the school’s lease at FedExForum.

Donations to the athletic department also fell by $1.1 million during the 2016-17 fiscal year thanks in large part to a drop in men’s basketball season ticket sales."
They are just making room for Penny Hardaway.
 
Another big thing down here is Tubby didn't recruit Memphis kids. Calipari actually caught heat for not recruiting more Memphis kids.

Penny will, but like brought up before, can he do anything with them?

There zero doubt Penny will be the next coach at UM. He's born and raised in Memphis, played at Memphis st. and from wiki;

Hardaway made more than $120 million in his 16-season career. He owns a barbershop and beauty salon in downtown Memphis and a turf business based in Miami.[17]

Hardaway is also known for his efforts to promote sports in Memphis. In 2010, he helped revitalize the Bluff City Classic, a summer basketball league that provides a high level of competition for men and women players from the college, professional, and elite high school ranks. Hardaway also provided funding to build the University of Memphis Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2011, Hardaway took over for his friend Desmond Merriweather as a coach for his middle school alma mater, Lester Middle School, while Merriweather was undergoing treatment for colon cancer. With a goal to have each of his players graduate from college, Hardaway instituted a mandatory tutorial program. He coached the Lester Lions to the West Tennessee State title 58–57, finishing 28–3 for the season.

The same year saw him announce plans for a permanent $20 million multi-sports facility named FastBreak Courts Sportsplex in Cordova. The sporting complex would support volleyball, cheerleading and wrestling, house seven basketball courts, a 2,000-seat arena, rehabilitation clinic and classrooms, and is expected to boost the Memphis-area economy by generating over $14.5 million in annual visitor spending and directly support 236 local jobs.[18]

In 2012, Hardaway was announced to be part of an ownership group, which includes Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake, that was to purchase a minority stake in the Memphis Grizzlies.[19]
 
Legit question, as I’m not sure and far too lazy to look into it.... has penny ever coached a day in his life?
He has coached well in high school. His name should be able to get in some talent. Kids today were not even born when he was in his prime
 
  • Like
Reactions: npreston
His effort on the recruiting trail was getting really bad here at Minnesota. His last two classes were pretty dreadful. His teams also peaked in non-conference and took nosedives in conference play.
As has been mentioned, he's not going to wow anybody on the recruiting trail, but he doesn't have to. He can be successful with average players. He also has a knack for finding overlooked talent and developing them into fine players. Texas Tech owes a lot of their current success to his ability to find these types of players.

His teams may have peaked in non-conference play, but they were competitive. And the Big 10 was the best conference in the nation when he was there. Fast forward to this year, and you finished 4-14 in what is probably one of the worst years the Big 10 has ever had. Tubby would have done work against this year's Big 10. You would have been in the tourney for sure.

So yeah it's a head scratcher to me. Tubby wouldn't have been competing for Big 10 titles, but he would have had you winning games and being competitive and making the tourney more often than not. To me the firing of Tubby seems like if KU hired a coach who turned it around in football and was going 6-6 to 8-4 every year and we let him go because he missed a bowl game. As a KU fan, I'd kill to see us go 6-6 or 7-5 right now, and would be pissed at any AD who fired said coach. Still pissed about the Mangino firing to be honest.
 
As has been mentioned, he's not going to wow anybody on the recruiting trail, but he doesn't have to. He can be successful with average players. He also has a knack for finding overlooked talent and developing them into fine players. Texas Tech owes a lot of their current success to his ability to find these types of players.

His teams may have peaked in non-conference play, but they were competitive. And the Big 10 was the best conference in the nation when he was there. Fast forward to this year, and you finished 4-14 in what is probably one of the worst years the Big 10 has ever had. Tubby would have done work against this year's Big 10. You would have been in the tourney for sure.

So yeah it's a head scratcher to me. Tubby wouldn't have been competing for Big 10 titles, but he would have had you winning games and being competitive and making the tourney more often than not. To me the firing of Tubby seems like if KU hired a coach who turned it around in football and was going 6-6 to 8-4 every year and we let him go because he missed a bowl game. As a KU fan, I'd kill to see us go 6-6 or 7-5 right now, and would be pissed at any AD who fired said coach. Still pissed about the Mangino firing to be honest.
I forgot all the reasons why they fired Mangino but I wish he was still around. Some fans seem to defend the reasoning behind it though and prefer the fact that KU is a 1-11 team without him instead of a 7-5 team with him.
 
As has been mentioned, he's not going to wow anybody on the recruiting trail, but he doesn't have to. He can be successful with average players. He also has a knack for finding overlooked talent and developing them into fine players. Texas Tech owes a lot of their current success to his ability to find these types of players.

His teams may have peaked in non-conference play, but they were competitive. And the Big 10 was the best conference in the nation when he was there. Fast forward to this year, and you finished 4-14 in what is probably one of the worst years the Big 10 has ever had. Tubby would have done work against this year's Big 10. You would have been in the tourney for sure.

So yeah it's a head scratcher to me. Tubby wouldn't have been competing for Big 10 titles, but he would have had you winning games and being competitive and making the tourney more often than not. To me the firing of Tubby seems like if KU hired a coach who turned it around in football and was going 6-6 to 8-4 every year and we let him go because he missed a bowl game. As a KU fan, I'd kill to see us go 6-6 or 7-5 right now, and would be pissed at any AD who fired said coach. Still pissed about the Mangino firing to be honest.

His last two recruiting classes consisted of:

Charles Buggs- Averaged 3.6 ppg over his 4 year career

Wally Ellenson- Averaged 1.9ppg and quit basketball after three years

Alex Foster- Averaged 2.6ppg between 3 schools

Alvin Ellis- Averaged 3.2ppg over 4 years at Michigan State

His recruiting was terrible even for Mid-Major standards.
 
It's funny how divisive the topic of Tubby Smith has been with UK because he's such a nice guy and is a standup guy at end of day. I was always a Tubby fan. His bad teams were hard to watch, but 2003 was my first year at UK and I really loved that team. Tubby ball at its best. Always hoped he could bring that back in his career.

To be real, it was also the time of the Glory Road release when Tubby's teams nosedived. It's always been hard to separate sports from politics, from southern stereotypes from cloaled racism because of all that.

I think having Tubby Smith was positive for UK for more than basketball at the end of the day.
 
His last two recruiting classes consisted of:

Charles Buggs- Averaged 3.6 ppg over his 4 year career

Wally Ellenson- Averaged 1.9ppg and quit basketball after three years

Alex Foster- Averaged 2.6ppg between 3 schools

Alvin Ellis- Averaged 3.2ppg over 4 years at Michigan State

His recruiting was terrible even for Mid-Major standards.

IMO, the one and done era was the worst thing to happen to Tubby. He's always wanted multi year guys who play with in his system. And to be fair, he usually recruits high character kids who are committed to that. It's hard to market though in today's game.
 
Last edited:
As has been mentioned, he's not going to wow anybody on the recruiting trail, but he doesn't have to. He can be successful with average players. He also has a knack for finding overlooked talent and developing them into fine players. Texas Tech owes a lot of their current success to his ability to find these types of players.

His teams may have peaked in non-conference play, but they were competitive. And the Big 10 was the best conference in the nation when he was there. Fast forward to this year, and you finished 4-14 in what is probably one of the worst years the Big 10 has ever had. Tubby would have done work against this year's Big 10. You would have been in the tourney for sure.

So yeah it's a head scratcher to me. Tubby wouldn't have been competing for Big 10 titles, but he would have had you winning games and being competitive and making the tourney more often than not. To me the firing of Tubby seems like if KU hired a coach who turned it around in football and was going 6-6 to 8-4 every year and we let him go because he missed a bowl game. As a KU fan, I'd kill to see us go 6-6 or 7-5 right now, and would be pissed at any AD who fired said coach. Still pissed about the Mangino firing to be honest.

And, I've never heard anyone mentioning that Tubby was dirty. With all that's going on in college basketball, you would think that would make him more attractive.
 
And, I've never heard anyone mentioning that Tubby was dirty. With all that's going on in college basketball, you would think that would make him more attractive.
Tubby was never dirty at UK.
Pitino was not dirty at UK.
Gillispie was not dirty at UK.
Cal has not been dirty at UK.

UK has been screwed so bad by the NCAA that they must be above board on all things or get the god damned death penalty.

Kansas, Arizona, UCLA, UConn, UNC and Duke don't have the same worries.
 
Tubby was never dirty at UK.
Pitino was not dirty at UK.
Gillispie was not dirty at UK.
Cal has not been dirty at UK.

UK has been screwed so bad by the NCAA that they must be above board on all things or get the god damned death penalty.

Kansas, Arizona, UCLA, UConn, UNC and Duke don't have the same worries.

Huh?
 
ADVERTISEMENT