Add Tubby Smith's Name to the Ever Growing List of Possible Coaches at Arizona

Sure. Why not. There's plenty of room with Mark Few, Jamie Dixon, John Calipari, Lon Kruger, Sean Miller, Dave Rose, Tony Bennett, Kevin Stallings, Mark Fox, Reggie Theus, and whatever random name people feel like rationalizing as being a possibility.

So, why not have a rumor of Minnesota coach Tubby Smith being a possible candidate? Maybe because, aside from Smith winning a national championship and being a "name" coach, the idea makes little sense.

Forget being "comfortable" and having a very good recruiting class coming next year, as cited in the story. How about the fact that Tubby Smith has been through a similar scenario before? Smith had to follow Rick Pitino at Kentucky. Winning a national championship wasn't enough because it was done with Pitino's players. Then it simply was that Smith could never measure up to the past coaching greats at Kentucky.

There was a reason he left, and moved to Minnesota. Why would he want to follow a sequel in Arizona where everything he did would be compared to Lute Olson? He's already seen how that kind of situation ends.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

12-30-2008 @ 4:12PM

Tom said...

Why would a coach like Tubby want to go there? Maybe a Billy Gilispie, but not Tubby.
The Tub is going to be just fine at Minnesota. He'll build them into a Big Ten contender.
Sorry, but that nut Billy Gillispie, the three year tops at any program, recruiter of eighth graders, would be wonderful for Arizona. He's a man from the region, truely out of his element in the East and isn't going to get a 'pass' much longer if he doesn't stop getting beat by the Gardner-Webbs and VMIs.
Take him, PLEASE!

1-01-2009 @ 11:43AM

ryan` said...

your a joke see what your sayingtommorowAFTER ky beat louisville by 20 billy g will be just fine when he has all his players and not tubby left overs

12-30-2008 @ 9:50PM

dr said...

Tom:

Please keep Coach Gillispie in the Bluegrass State. We do not want him out here in Tucson.

12-31-2008 @ 9:05AM

Big Blue Nation said...

Wow lest bash coach Gillispie some more, you people keep talking crap now and we will see in 2-3 yrs who will laugh last lol and it will be uk. It takes a few years to get your system and players you want to all come together... Its his way or the high way unlike tubby ball... Tubby is a great man and coach but got burnt out and would not fire his other coaches when asked to. For the record kansas lost to teams like webb and vmi except it happened in the ncaa tourn, and he had way better players. Just look at Ucla, Florida and kansas coaches first few yrs and then compare billys. Also tom everyone recruits 8 th graders ask billy d down in florida and any acc coach....

Thanks,

BigBlue Nation

12-31-2008 @ 3:45AM

Wow lets bash coach Gillispie some more, you people keep talking crap now and we will see in 2-3 yrs who will laugh last lol and it will be uk. It takes a few years to get your system and players you want to all come together... Its his way or the high way unlike tubby ball...
Tubby is a great man and coach but got burnt out and would not fire
his other coaches when asked to. For the record kansas lost to teams like webb and vmi except it happened in the ncaa tourn, and he had way better players. Just look at Ucla, Florida and kansas coaches first few yrs and then compare billys. Also tom everyone recruits 8th graders, just ask billy d down in florida and any acc or sec coach....

Thanks,

BigBlue Nation

1-01-2009 @ 1:35PM

NaterB said...

I like all the speculation of various coaches to become Olson's successor in Arizona. All of them have different approaches to the game, and have various track records.

As an Arizona fan, I have seen Jim Livengood botch hire after hire for new coaches throughout the athletic department, and was amazed when Stoops paid off. I'm hoping he has learned his lesson. If not, I have a few more for him on my blog.

Check it out, and let me know what you think!
http://sportscapsule.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/lessons-from-a-coach/

1-03-2009 @ 3:53PM

ILLINI said...

AS I SIT HERE AND WATCH MINNESOTA SMOKE OSU RIGHT NOW I CAN'T HELP BUT THINKING HOW UNFAIR THAT WOULD BE TO THE KIDS.....I THINK IF A COACH TRANSFERS SCHOOLS TO TAKE ANOTHER JOB HE SHOULD HAVE TO SIT OUT UNTIL ALL OF HIS RECRUITS FINISH SCHOOL ....TUBBY IS A GREAT FIT IN THE BIG TEN

1-03-2009 @ 3:54PM

LOL.........GET READY AZ FANS......UR NEXT COACH.....AND I AM 100% ON THIS ....IS BOB KNIGHT.........MERRY XMAS

3-06-2009 @ 10:40AM

Yes U Can Rocky said...

Here is what Tubby left Kentucky

Stevenson, disappointment

Porter, are you serious

Harris, who what where

Meeks, great shooter soft inside

Carter, one senior = no senior class

AJ Stewart, ?

Bobby Perry's Cousin.

Mark Coury, self recruited

GILLISPIE WILL NEED SOME TIME.