Is this real life? Y’know, I’m ok with this, if it happens.
The current news is that Tubby Smith, head coach of Texas Tech, is in Memphis, and will be announced as the head coach soon.
Tubby Smith has literally won everywhere that he’s been. He’s proven that he knows what he’s doing. If you can get Tulsa, Georgia, Minnesota, and Texas Tech to the NCAA tournament, then you know what you’re doing. He’s won a national championship (granted, it was 1998 at Kentucky), and he done more with less pretty much everywhere he’s gone.
At Kentucky, he wasn’t heralded as a big time recruiter, but the guy got players, even at Minnesota, and has some players at Texas Tech. He’ll be able to get players at Memphis like he hasn’t gotten in the past decade. He’ll be back to having one of the top jobs in a conference, as opposed to the bottom. When Tubby was coach at Kentucky, over 10 seasons, he never missed the NCAA tournament, never got knocked out in the first round, made the Elite Eight 4 times, made the Final Four and won a national championship once, made the sweet sixteen 6 times. Numbers like that would have him a statue at Memphis…
The guy made the NCAA tournament 3 times and the NIT twice in his 6 seasons at Minnesota. He’s been at Texas Tech (which is the worst of the worst as far as basketball) for 3 seasons, and just got them to the tournament for the first time.
This guy isn’t an exciting, home run hire… but the guy wins basketball games. He’s good at what he does.
Now, I understand this is a longshot, but the possible idea behind this could be to bring in a coach that’s older, that is respected, and to have Penny Hardaway on the staff. You already know Keelon Lawson will be on staff, thanks to the Lawson brothers. So if Penny jumps on, you’ve only got one assistant coaching spot available for a key recruiter.
This totally seems like something that school president David Rudd would do. He loves the old school approach. The guy has Bob Knight stuff everywhere in his office.
I don’t hate this hire. I think he’ll win. A lot. And I think it can keep the Memphis brand running for the next 6-7 years until Tubby is ready to ride off into the sunset.
