Auburn targeting Tubby?

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If he turned down UVa, Oregon, etc. to go to Auburn, Auburn I'd have to question his sanity. That said, he is due for a contract extension and raise. Brew got one, but suddenly we're in a hiring freeze and can't do anything? Come on Maturi, get it done.
 

Hates Monikers said:
True, but this report goes far beyond the rumors and potential interest we've heard about with other job openings. Whether there's any substance behind this report, who knows? But the words are more ominous than we've heard before.

As for a coach stating that he likes his job ... that is meaningless in sports today.
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How does this go far beyond the other rumors? It is Dennis Dodd stating he heard a rumor in a one sentence blog that in his own words "could be nothing". It's bad timing with no backup.
 

Gold Vision said:
How does this go far beyond the other rumors? It is Dennis Dodd stating he heard a rumor in a one sentence blog that in his own words "could be nothing". It's bad timing with no backup.
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"Auburn is "close to hiring" Tubby Smith as its new basketball coach ..."

We haven't heard "close to hiring" before. We've heard "School A is targeting ..." or "School B is interested in ...." We haven't heard anything reported as this close.

I agree that the validity of the report is questionable.
 


FOT, wow I feel much better now. Thank you for finally replying on here. I knew if there was nothing to it you would squash this rumor quickly. Whew ok now I can watch today's game in peace.
 



Unregistered User said:
When you have a coach like Tubby, you will be going through things like this every time there is a major opening.

Not the worst problem to have. Like most others though, I believe he likes it here and will not be moving.
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Yes. Tubby is among the Top 10-15 coaches in D1 and other schools may want him. HE LIKES it at Minnesota.
 

I will throw my 2 cents in FWIW - maybe Tubby's name comes up for every open job (St John's is now open too) because he wants it that way? Maybe this is his way to put pressure on the U to get the practice facility done or maybe in fact he wants out?

Left Georgia after year 3, ok for the Kentucky job but he still left after year 3. And maybe he thinks he can't win here at the level he has been accustomed to? A lot easier to land the Harrison Barnes and Cory Joseph types at other schools? Or maybe it is all as FOT put "...hogwash."
 

IF for some reason this is true...go get Mike Rice Jr. at Robert Morris, what this guy has done at a comuter school located at the end of a airport runway is amazing.
 



According to Moron (I mean Myron's) latest blog. "someone" close to the situation denies the report from CBS. For what it's worth?
 

This from Birmingham:

Auburn basketball willing to pay for hot name; Tubby Smith enters coaching buzz
By Charles Goldberg -- The Birmingham News
March 19, 2010, 5:47AM

This story appears in Friday's Birmingham News:

AUBURN -- Auburn, which has spent $90 million on a basketball arena that will open next season, is prepared to make another sizable investment in the sport when it hires its new basketball coach.

People familiar with the search process say the university is willing to significantly increase what it has paid former coaches in order to attract someone with a proven record to replace Jeff Lebo, who was fired last Friday. A list of candidates includes coaches who could command high salaries, such as Minnesota's Tubby Smith, who has SEC experience at Kentucky and Georgia. Auburn may make a play for him.

The new coach, depending on his experience, could emerge as the fourth or fifth highest-paid basketball coach in the SEC.

The four highest-paid coaches in the SEC are Kentucky's John Calipari, at $3.9 million; Florida's Billy Donovan, at $3.4 million; Tennessee's Bruce Pearl, at $2.4 million; and Alabama's Anthony Grant, at $1.8 million. Lebo was the lowest-paid coach in the SEC, at $750,000 annually.

Depending on who Auburn hires, the new coach's salary could be close to that of football coach Gene Chizik, who will make $2.1 million this year.

College candidates for the Auburn job include Minnesota's Smith, whose team plays Xavier in the NCAA Tournament today. Smith is appearing in his 16th NCAA Tournament in the past 17 years. Smith's annual compensation at Minnesota is $1.75 million.

FoxSports.com last week mentioned Smith as a candidate at Oregon.

"There's always talk about coaches leaving and players leaving. It's part of the business. We're happy here,'' Smith said in a follow-up story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Another possible candidate is Texas-El Paso coach Tony Barbee. UTEP lost to Butler in the tournament Thursday. Another possible candidate is Missouri coach Mike Anderson, whose team plays Clemson today. Anderson is a Birmingham native and former UAB coach.

Other candidates could include former Auburn player Chuck Person, who is a special assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers; and Sam Mitchell, a former NBA coach of the year who is from Columbus, Ga.

The search may still be in its early stages because most candidates have been preparing for the NCAA Tournament. Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs said he won't contact any coach that is still in the tournament.

Auburn's coaching search that ultimately led to Lebo six years ago included interviews during the Final Four in San Antonio. This year's Final Four concludes April 5 in Indianapolis. Auburn signed Lebo in 2004 to an eight-year contract. Auburn is paying him a $1.5 million buyout.
 

And Maturi's response...

Minnesota AD has `heard the rumors' that Auburn may make move on Tubby Smith
By Charles Goldberg -- The Birmingham News
March 19, 2010, 10:25AM

Tubby Smith (AP photo)
University of Minnesota Athletics Director Joel Maturi says he's "heard the rumors" that Auburn may make a play for Gophers' basketball coach Tubby Smith, "but I haven't gotten the call,'' he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press this morning.

Maturi said neither Auburn nor Smith has contacted him about the rumors.

The Birmingham News reported this morning that Auburn may be considering Smith, who makes $1.75 million a year at Minnesota. The News reported Auburn is prepared to make its new basketball coach one of the highest paid in the Southeastern Conference.

CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd, citing an unnamed source, wrote this morning that Auburn is "close to hiring" Smith, though he added, "It could be nothing."

Maturi said in a Pioneer Press story Thursday that Minnesota can't afford to give Smith a raise because of a salary freeze, and the school can't compete with the $2 million salaries of other successful coaches in the Big Ten.

"We can't match that. We won't begin to match that,'' he told the newspaper.

Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs has not publicly identified who Auburn is considering, but has said no official contact would be made with candidates until after their basketball seasons are complete. Minnesota faces Xavier in the NCAA Tournament today.

Maturi expressed disappointment that rumors about Smith arose before Minnesota's tournament appearance today. Smith was linked to the vacant Oregon job last week.

Auburn began looking for a new coach after firing Jeff Lebo last Friday.
 

Moonlight said:
Minnesota AD has `heard the rumors' that Auburn may make move on Tubby Smith
By Charles Goldberg -- The Birmingham News
March 19, 2010, 10:25AM

Maturi said in a Pioneer Press story Thursday that Minnesota can't afford to give Smith a raise because of a salary freeze, and the school can't compete with the $2 million salaries of other successful coaches in the Big Ten.

"We can't match that. We won't begin to match that,'' he told the newspaper.
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We're already paying Tubby $1.75 million, and we can't begin to match $2 million? It makes it sound like we're a 2 bit school that's stretching to pay the $1.75. The barn is once again selling out because of Tubby, and Maturi can't even think about giving him raise. Salary freeze or not, there's always a way to sweeten the deal if needed.

Maturi should never comment before thinking, or have someone write his statements if he can't put it together. What he should have said is that Tubby has proven that he is worth what the top Big 10 coaches make and when the salary freeze is over, we'll improve is compensation.

It just hit me that Maturi is our Eeyore.
 




WAGopher said:
We're already paying Tubby $1.75 million, and we can't begin to match $2 million? It makes it sound like we're a 2 bit school that's stretching to pay the $1.75. The barn is once again selling out because of Tubby, and Maturi can't even think about giving him raise. Salary freeze or not, there's always a way to sweeten the deal if needed.

Maturi should never comment before thinking, or have someone write his statements if he can't put it together. What he should have said is that Tubby has proven that he is worth what the top Big 10 coaches make and when the salary freeze is over, we'll improve is compensation.

It just hit me that Maturi is our Eeyore.
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I agree, we are one of the largest universities in the nation with a huge alumni network and apparently we are not able to fundraise as well as many smaller universities. If Maturi was an effective fundraiser we should be able to match anything that these smaller schools are able to do in regards to salary. Salary freeze or not, go raise the money from boosters and pay him whatever he needs out of that.
 

GopherGod said:
If Maturi was an effective fundraiser we should be able to match anything that these smaller schools are able to do in regards to salary.
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Like 90 million for a football stadium? 10-20 million for a baseball stadium? ?? million for a practice facility?
 


Its definite according to "sources" - he may or may not go. This we already knew.
As SS always says - we need to get used to this.
 

I am sure he will not leave, but I have also heard that Oregon may be interested in Tubby as well.
 

Gibsogurski said:
I am sure he will not leave, but I have also heard that Oregon may be interested in Tubby as well.
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Really? That's breaking news. Did you hear they're voting on some healthcare deal too? :rolleyes:

No offense but that was news about 2 weeks ago.
 

Not worried about Oregon, certainly not worried about Auburn.
 

eg

EG#9 said:
Not worried about Oregon, certainly not worried about Auburn.
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Agreed.

Let me know when Gary Williams retires. Otherwise, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

It is great having a coach every team looking for a coach wants or at least mentions.
 



They were probably trying to call someone else and the lines got crossed. :cool02:
 

Maximus said:
Like 90 million for a football stadium? 10-20 million for a baseball stadium? ?? million for a practice facility?
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And we had to sell out the naming rights to a corporation to fund the football stadium versus funding it with booster support, in spite of the fact that we are one of the largest universities in the country with a huge alumni pool to pull from. A company by the way that has already made more than a fair share of revenue off of the university and its students and is definitely incentivized to keep the university happy. In regards to the baseball and practice facility, wake me up when we actually break ground on either one of these projects.
 

GopherGod said:
And we had to sell out the naming rights to a corporation to fund the football stadium versus funding it with booster support, in spite of the fact that we are one of the largest universities in the country with a huge alumni pool to pull from. A company by the way that has already made more than a fair share of revenue off of the university. In regards to the baseball and practice facility, wake me up when we actually break ground on either one of these projects.
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Who really cares if you have to sell out naming rights to fund a stadium? At least there is one.
 

I don't fully understand Maturi's 'we can't approach $2 million' comments when he's already at $1.75. And if he got Brew an extension he didn't deserve, he can get Tubby one that he does, with a raise included.
 

dodd's an idiot...now he is saying there "may" be mutual interest

Tubby not stupid he will probably listen to offers but I think he really likes it at minny
 

howeda7 said:
I don't fully understand Maturi's 'we can't approach $2 million' comments when he's already at $1.75. And if he got Brew an extension he didn't deserve, he can get Tubby one that he does, with a raise included.
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What don't you get?

1) Spending freeze at the U. Yes, coaches are employees of the U.

2) Brewster's extension can hardly be considered such. They lowered his buyout and his annual compensation didn't increase (if I'm not mistaken). That's a pretty clear indication that they gave it to him for recruiting purposes and in the hope that he can turn things around without the University putting much extra on the line.
 

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