Shooter: U president wants to extend Gophers coach Tubby Smith's contract

[BleedGopher]

Shooter Now: U president wants to extend Gophers coach Tubby Smith's contract
By Charley Walters
Updated: 03/29/2010 09:58:31 AM CDT

Amid continued reports and rumors that Gophers basketball coach Tubby Smith is being sought by other schools, most notably Oregon, University of Minnesota President Bob Bruinicks said the university wants to extend Smith's contract.

"We're looking at ways to extend it right now," Bruinicks said. "We'd like him to retire as our head basketball coach and be here for a really long career."

Smith has four years remaining on his Gophers' contract.

"We're doing what we can to keep him, and we're confident that he'll stay," Bruinicks said. "But anything can happen in the sports world.

"We hear rumors about coach Smith every season. I think he and his family like it here. He feels quite optimistic that he can build a winning tradition at Minnesota."

It's important to Smith that his team has a practice facility.

"We're also working on a basketball practice facility," Bruinicks said. "We've authorized through the Board of Regents the schematic design, which is the first step, and some really good work has been done."

Bruinicks was asked if the Smith rumors make him nervous.

"I don't think we're nervous," he said. "That has to be a decision that he has to make. I'm quite confident he's going to be our coach next year."

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14778319?nclick_check=1

Go Gophers!!

 

[WAGopher]

Why couldn't Maturi have just said this, instead of his 'we can't afford to give him a raise' statement?

Now we have it from the top that the U is doing what is necessary to keep Tubby here for the rest of his career. Tubby may or may not win big here, but he does have us getting closer to the Clem years, which I like.

 

[centerofmn]

+1 about Maturi.

Why does Bruinicks have to say this. It seems to me Maturi should have been spouting this all along.

 

[GortonsFisherman011]

Will someone please spell Bruininks' name right? Geez.

 

[millions2spare]

As I have said, Maturi is over his head...........good to see the president getting on board, however.
maybe we can get some real action on the practice facility and locking up our coach. On my wish list would also be a barry Alverez type of AD....That might be too much to ask or expect from a University that prides itself on Sports mediocrity, maybe the tide is turning!.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Well done President B. Have kinda' been wondering. ... if we can give a contract extension to the hyperbolic chatterbox in the football office after a 6-7 (3-5 Big Ten) repeat-Insight-Bowl season, certainly one should be forthcoming for a basketball coach who has clearly made the Gopher program relevant again (locally and in the Big Ten) in such a short amount of time?

 

[howeda7]

Thank you Mr. President. Why couldn't your AD take the bull by the horns this way instead of his fatalitisic 'someone will offer him $3 million, we can't pay $3 million' garbage? His handling of the Tubby situation and the fact that Lucia remains employed show he is not growing into his job anymore then his hand-picked football coach.

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

Prez B Said Pretty Much The Same Thing As Maturi

And pretty much the same thing as Tubby himself has said IN QUOTES a number of times.

The MN media and a number of Gopher fans have other sources that they believe.

 

[Handsome Pete]

Why couldn't Maturi have just said this, instead of his 'we can't afford to give him a raise' statement?

Now we have it from the top that the U is doing what is necessary to keep Tubby here for the rest of his career. Tubby may or may not win big here, but he does have us getting closer to the Clem years, which I like.

Because MACturi is a complete and total loser who is in so far over his head that he doesn't know what to say or who to say it to. Word is MACturi is going to be retiring next year. Good riddance.

 

[SeemoreButts]

GH posters....So much bull$hit, so little substance.

 

[Monty519]

Well done President B. Have kinda' been wondering. ... if we can give a contract extension to the hyperbolic chatterbox in the football office after a 6-7 (3-5 Big Ten) repeat-Insight-Bowl season, certainly one should be forthcoming for a basketball coach who has clearly made the Gopher program relevant again (locally and in the Big Ten) in such a short amount of time?

To be fair, Brewster got an "extension". Tubby wouldn't be getting an "extension", he'd probably be getting a real one lol. Since Brewster knew his leverage wasn't as strong, he could go for that. But they aren't just gonna put more years on a Tubby extension, he'll probably get more money as well. There's ways they can work that out despite the budget issues here.

 

[DLguy]

I sure am going to miss Fun Bobby when he retires. He seems to really understand how sports can help the greater good of the U. I could be mistaken, but doesnt he retire after next year?

 

[MRJ]

I think the reason we didn't hear anything more firm from Maturi is because frankly, he doesn't have the final say. President Bruininks is Maturi's boss, so unless Bruininks was on board, Maturi can't say anything. As such, I'm more happy that Bruininks is stepping in and effectively saying "alright, enough with this nonsense. Let's get a contract extension and a practice facility going asap."

 

[Section201]

mrj

I think the reason we didn't hear anything more firm from Maturi is because frankly, he doesn't have the final say. President Bruininks is Maturi's boss, so unless Bruininks was on board, Maturi can't say anything. As such, I'm more happy that Bruininks is stepping in and effectively saying "alright, enough with this nonsense. Let's get a contract extension and a practice facility going asap."

+1

 

[WAGopher]

I think the reason we didn't hear anything more firm from Maturi is because frankly, he doesn't have the final say. President Bruininks is Maturi's boss, so unless Bruininks was on board, Maturi can't say anything. As such, I'm more happy that Bruininks is stepping in and effectively saying "alright, enough with this nonsense. Let's get a contract extension and a practice facility going asap."

That does seem to be the case. However, you'd think Maturi would have already asked his boss about this and would have had a more positive answer than his stock 'we can't do anything' retort.

 

[maxwellsmart]

Will someone please spell Bruininks' name right? Geez.

You just did. Thanks. Very informative.

 

[The Ghost of Bierman]

Shooter Now: U president wants to extend Gophers coach Tubby Smith's contract
By Charley Walters
Updated: 03/29/2010 09:58:31 AM CDT

Amid continued reports and rumors that Gophers basketball coach Tubby Smith is being sought by other schools, most notably Oregon, University of Minnesota President Bob Bruinicks said the university wants to extend Smith's contract.

"We're looking at ways to extend it right now," Bruinicks said. "We'd like him to retire as our head basketball coach and be here for a really long career."

Smith has four years remaining on his Gophers' contract.

"We're doing what we can to keep him, and we're confident that he'll stay," Bruinicks said. "But anything can happen in the sports world.

"We hear rumors about coach Smith every season. I think he and his family like it here. He feels quite optimistic that he can build a winning tradition at Minnesota."

It's important to Smith that his team has a practice facility.

"We're also working on a basketball practice facility," Bruinicks said. "We've authorized through the Board of Regents the schematic design, which is the first step, and some really good work has been done."

Bruinicks was asked if the Smith rumors make him nervous.

"I don't think we're nervous," he said. "That has to be a decision that he has to make. I'm quite confident he's going to be our coach next year."

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14778319?nclick_check=1

Go Gophers!!

i like pres. bruininks. he seems to "get it" a lot more than our actual AD joel maturi does! he also knows how to give effective quotes to the media, which is not one of maturi's strong suits. i actually ran into pres. bruininks at the gophers baseball game at target field on saturday (he was there with sen. larry pogemiller and some other U of M folks. i asked him if we are going to get that practice facility done soon. he responded that he thinks we will and that they are getting close. he also spoke about the fact that they think they have all the design work completed and are just working to line up the funds as we speak.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

i like pres. bruininks. he seems to "get it" a lot more than our actual AD joel maturi does! he also knows how to give effective quotes to the media, which is not one of maturi's strong suits. i actually ran into pres. bruininks at the gophers baseball game at target field on saturday (he was there with sen. larry pogemiller and some other U of M folks. i asked him if we are going to get that practice facility done soon. he responded that he thinks we will and that they are getting close. he also spoke about the fact that they think they have all the design work completed and are just working to line up the funds as we speak.

President Bruininks has been calling the shots on every major Athletics Department decision since he became President. If Maturi decides to do something important it is because Bruininks wants him to do it.

Likewise, if Maturi decides not to do something important it is because Bruininks doesn't want him to do it.

Accordingly, if Maturi makes a decision you don't like fairness demands that you get mad at Bruininks too. If Bruininks was not happy with the way he performed his job, Joel would have been gone a long time ago.

 

[Tater]

Since we're all speculating:

Other than the fact that the U seems to be offering additional support/compensation to Tubby, do we need to temper our excitement a bit? Just a thought on the timing of this article: If you were the president/AD and you had a strong feeling that Tubby might be out the door, wouldn't you put out a similar statement that you "wanted" to extend Tubby's contract so as not to feel the full wrath of U supporters when he leaves? Said differently, wouldn't we all be pretty PO'ed if Tubby had left and we never ever heard boo about the U trying to keep him around with a contract extension?

Who knows? But this artictle may or may not concern ultimately good news-- it could just as likely be a PR message designed to address damage control when/if Tubby leaves....

 

[16FeetUnder]

i like pres. bruininks. he seems to "get it" a lot more than our actual AD joel maturi does! he also knows how to give effective quotes to the media, which is not one of maturi's strong suits. i actually ran into pres. bruininks at the gophers baseball game at target field on saturday (he was there with sen. larry pogemiller and some other U of M folks. i asked him if we are going to get that practice facility done soon. he responded that he thinks we will and that they are getting close. he also spoke about the fact that they think they have all the design work completed and are just working to line up the funds as we speak.

They think wrong.

 

[GopherGod]

I understand it takes time to raise funds for the practice facility but why is it after 3 years and the design isn't even done yet. It just lends to the appearance of the athletic department being reactive versus proactive.

 

[gopherphan]

Can't Fun Bobby be our AD? he has given us more information about the state of the basketball program at the U in that statement then Maturi has given us all year (tenure?)

 

[ofergopher]

Can't Fun Bobby be our AD? he has given us more information about the state of the basketball program at the U in that statement then Maturi has given us all year (tenure?)

One fairly obvious answer: he is more valuable to the institution in his current position.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

As I have said, Maturi is over his head...........good to see the president getting on board, however.
maybe we can get some real action on the practice facility and locking up our coach. On my wish list would also be a barry Alverez type of AD....That might be too much to ask or expect from a University that prides itself on Sports mediocrity, maybe the tide is turning!.

I stated that in another thread. BA would be the bomb as AD here. I'd give him 2 Mil to run the department, we would make up that investment back in about 6 months.

 

[The Ghost of Bierman]

They think wrong.

my bad there. don't hold that against pres. bruininks as i was paraphrasing a little bit as it was a passing conversation. it was something closer to: "we are working hard on the designs and are making some good progress there".

 

[washgopher]

whats needed

give Tubby a lifetime contract becoming AD when he's tired of coaching

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

All Due Respect

give Tubby a lifetime contract becoming AD when he's tired of coaching

I doubt Tubby will ever (want to) be an AD anywhere. Not a good fit for that type of job.

 

[Donovan]

I think the reason we didn't hear anything more firm from Maturi is because frankly, he doesn't have the final say. President Bruininks is Maturi's boss, so unless Bruininks was on board, Maturi can't say anything. As such, I'm more happy that Bruininks is stepping in and effectively saying "alright, enough with this nonsense. Let's get a contract extension and a practice facility going asap."

+2