Saul Smith Placed on Admin Leave UPDATED (10/26) Saul to return to team Nov. 13

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Per U of MN press release:

University of Minnesota assistant men’s basketball coach Saul Smith was placed on indefinite unpaid administrative leave Sunday after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.



Smith, the son of head men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith, was pulled over early Saturday morning after leaving a downtown Minneapolis restaurant.



“While we do not want to rush to judgment before the legal process proceeds, Coach Tubby Smith and I are taking this matter seriously,” said Gophers Director of Athletics Norwood Teague. “University of Minnesota values dictate that our coaches and staff be positive role models for our student-athletes. As such, we are taking disciplinary measures while the legal system takes its course.”



Smith, a first-time offender who is in his sixth season with the Gophers, is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 3, 2012.



Gopher Athletics will gather additional facts on this matter Monday. Teague will be available to the media Monday at 1:30 p.m. in the postgame interview room at Williams Arena.
 


So it appears that it's an institutional problem. At least when it comes to drinking and driving.
 

anyone that knows saul since he arrived on campus will not be surprised. the only surprise is that he finally got caught. this outta help recruiting.
 




Go4 said:
anyone that knows saul since he arrived on campus will not be surprised. the only surprise is that he finally got caught. this outta help recruiting.
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Yeah right?I'm not going to Minnesota because an assistant coach got a dui. The link on his spot on the jail roster was really great reporting. Who gives a blank. If he was a big partier this is a good wake up call. He wasn't on probation and fortunitely he hurt no one. A story certainly but a major big deal not quite. But it does give the media jackels who cover the team something to chew on. It's not like Pat Reusse ever had a drinking problem.
 


Interesting week for the Gophers. Player gets a DUI after a bevy of other issues and gets sent to "coming off the bench" Coaches kid gets a DWI and is "sent to the woodshop" Moral of the story? Better to be a multiple offender with a power game than the coaches kid.

This however has zero to do with future recruiting as mentioned before.
 



Go4 said:
anyone that knows saul since he arrived on campus will not be surprised. the only surprise is that he finally got caught. this outta help recruiting.
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Serious question: Has Saul's name ever been mentioned as having been crucial to landing any recruit? Vince Taylor is the only assistant I've ever seen listed for recruiting purposes.
 

GibsonSG said:
Serious question: Has Saul's name ever been mentioned as having been crucial to landing any recruit? Vince Taylor is the only assistant I've ever seen listed for recruiting purposes.
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Saul offered Nate Garth, Chad Calcaterra and a few others that we eventually backed off of, so that should show his impact in recruiting.

Jirsa has been associated with a number of recruits over the years, though yes, Taylor is has been our top assistant recruiter.

Go Gophers!!
 

GibsonSG said:
Serious question: Has Saul's name ever been mentioned as having been crucial to landing any recruit? Vince Taylor is the only assistant I've ever seen listed for recruiting purposes.
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Does this count?

Alex Foster: Honestly, it was just because it was a great fit for me. I just felt really comfortable with Coach Taylor, Coach Tubby, the assistant coach Saul and Coach Jirsa. All of them seemed like they were people of character. They were down home people and someone I could come to as family.
 




Good try Saul ... SMH

@AmeliaRayno: Saul Smith blew a 0.18 on the breathalyzer, more than twice the legal limit. #Gophers
 

scher215 said:
Good try Saul ... SMH

@AmeliaRayno: Saul Smith blew a 0.18 on the breathalyzer, more than twice the legal limit. #Gophers
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I have seen first hand a couple of guys that blew a .16, about the same size as Saul. They were, shall I say, chitfaced.
 

I mean this somewhat sarcastically and somewhat seriously, but do you think Trevor and Saul at some point will talk about what it was like sitting in a cop car knowing they just risked the lives of others by getting behind a wheel drunk? I wonder how different each of their first conversations were with Tubby.
 

Stan said:
I mean this somewhat sarcastically and somewhat seriously, but do you think Trevor and Saul at some point will talk about what it was like sitting in a cop car knowing they just risked the lives of others by getting behind a wheel drunk? I wonder how different each of their first conversations were with Tubby.
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Tubby hasnt already told you stan?
 

You can't have an assistant coach getting a DUI. Gotta let him go. You didn't set an example with Trevor, but you've got to start somewhere or else you're setting the wrong example and could tacitly encourage more inappropriate behavior. There's no excuse for an assistant coach to be so foolish.
 

OSUfan said:
You can't have an assistant coach getting a DUI. Gotta let him go. You didn't set an example with Trevor, but you've got to start somewhere or else you're setting the wrong example and could tacitly encourage more inappropriate behavior. There's no excuse for an assistant coach to be so foolish.
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I think the best move is for Tubby to remove himself completely from the disciplinary process and leave it 100% up to Norwood. No matter what he does, there'd be questions with Saul being his son.
 

scher215 said:
I think the best move is for Tubby to remove himself completely from the disciplinary process and leave it 100% up to Norwood. No matter what he does, there'd be questions with Saul being his son.
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OK Donna.

Remove himself? Of course! The head coach, whom the asst reports to, removes himself from the process.

Logical.

Your protection of tubby knows no bounds. None.
 

BarnBurner said:
OK Donna.

Remove himself? Of course! The head coach, whom the asst reports to, removes himself from the process.

Logical.

Your protection of tubby knows no bounds. None.
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I don't know if Tubby should completely remove himself, but it would not be a bad idea to let Teague take the lead on this. Parents are always more lenient or too hard on their own kids (depending on the parent). If this comes down more from Teague, it would be less biased.
 

GopherLady said:
I don't know if Tubby should completely remove himself, but it would not be a bad idea to let Teague take the lead on this. Parents are always more lenient or too hard on their own kids (depending on the parent). If this comes down more from Teague, it would be less biased.
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Exactly my point.

I'd also add that regardless of what tubby were to decide, public perception would be that it was a biased decision due to their relationship.
 

GopherLady said:
I don't know if Tubby should completely remove himself, but it would not be a bad idea to let Teague take the lead on this. Parents are always more lenient or too hard on their own kids (depending on the parent). If this comes down more from Teague, it would be less biased.
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Tubby should be front and center. That is what good leaders do.

Sometimes leaders need to make decisions that will be unpopular. This is an example of such a time for tubby.
 

scher215 said:
Exactly my point.

I'd also add that regardless of what tubby were to decide, public perception would be that it was a biased decision due to their relationship.
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Tubby hired his own son. That is on him.

Step up and lead.
 

Brief search for assistant coaches arrested for DUI:

Dalonte Hill, assistant basketball coach at Maryland: Was suspended for two games (and this was his 2nd offense, also had a DUI at K State)
Ben Wallis- assistant volleyball coach New Mexico State: suspended two weeks without pay

I'd be surprised if Saul is fired for this.
 

Whenever there is any kind of appearance of a potential conflict of interest involved in big decisions, I think it is important to remove oneself from the process. Teague can and should handle it.
 

EG#9 said:
Brief search for assistant coaches arrested for DUI:

Dalonte Hill, assistant basketball coach at Maryland: Was suspended for two games (and this was his 2nd offense, also had a DUI at K State)
Ben Wallis- assistant volleyball coach New Mexico State: suspended two weeks without pay

I'd be surprised if Saul is fired for this.
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I think you're right. Seems like a pretty big jump to fire him.
 

I bet if we were coming off a great season or if the big two of the 2014 recruiting class committed here because of Saul or he wasn't Tubby's son the reaction would be much different. A lot of people have been critical of Tubby's staff including Gopher Lady. It's funny though the amount of tolerence for Trevor. Saul seems to never have been in any trouble before.
 

I for one am looking at this with the glass half full. There is now less of a chance Tubby will try and get this program handed over to his son when he retires.

Kidding aside (sort of), I definitely agree that Teague should handle the discipline and Tubby should recuse himself.
 

EG#9 said:
Brief search for assistant coaches arrested for DUI:

Dalonte Hill, assistant basketball coach at Maryland: Was suspended for two games (and this was his 2nd offense, also had a DUI at K State)
Ben Wallis- assistant volleyball coach New Mexico State: suspended two weeks without pay

I'd be surprised if Saul is fired for this.
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Lots of college coaches get severe penalties for something like a DUI. Coaches are supposed to set the example and be leaders. Players make mistakes sometimes, and they get the benefit of the doubt more often than not - there are almost no schools that would kick a player off the team solely for a DUI. But coaches are a different story.

Tim Welsh resigned at Hofstra a couple years ago just because of one DUI. Larry Eustachy didn't break any laws, but was drinking with co-eds at Big 12 rivals, and he was forced out for that. Mike Price didn't break any laws but was fired for drinking at bars around campus and (after being warned) going to a strip club and spending $1500 there and at a hotel. Bob Huggins got a DUI at Cincinnati, they suspended him and let him coach the season but told him after the season that they decided not to extend his contract. Most coaches aren't flat out fired for a DUI, but you get held to a higher standard when you're a coach and getting paid to be a leader at a university.
 

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