Why was Tubby let go? (Long)

[4thegophers]

I have been a reader of this board for a number of years and consider myself a strong Gopher fan to the point where when my kids were born many years ago, they came home from the hospital in little Gopher outfits. However, I have never posted in all this time so what I am about to say could very well be viewed with a great deal of skepticism but it is completely accurate.

I am not an insider and don't know who is a legitimate candidate for coaching job. I would imagine that they are conducting this like any business would. Make the calls and see who is interested. One thing to remember though is that asking if you are interested in the job is not offering it. Many may have been asked about their interest but were they really offered.

With all that being said these are the things I do know about that are going on in the program. They come from an assistant coach who competes and recruits against the Gophers. I'm sorry, but I will not mention the school for obvious reasons. This coach also happens to be my godson.

He said that many coaches feel Tubby was let go for the following reasons.

1. The feeling in the program was that Tubby and his staff had lost control of the team and that they weren't responding to them any more. That there were numerous discipline and team rule issues and they weren't being addressed. Tubby was letting everything slide.

2. The program was not progressing at the rate people felt was necessary given the high profile and financial investment (salaries) that was made.

3. Recruiting was unacceptable. They had no chance at the big 3. All three of the recruits like Tubby and felt he was a true gentleman but were not impressed with him as a coach or the way he ran a program. My godson has recruited two of the three and had many conversations with them. He also did not make the final cut with either of them either. He would not say who he thought was in the drivers seat.

4. He also said that a key sophomore recruit that Minnesota has been recruiting, who has been mentioned on here, would not come if Tubby was still here. My godson is recruiting this players older brother.This guy is a hell of a player but his father told him that things were out of control at Minnesota and he would not allow his kid to be in a program like that.

5. He felt that Tubby still loved to coach but had lost his drive and become complacent. That his staff was one of the laziest staffs around and because of that they lost out on a lot of recruits by being out hustled.

He also said that Teague and Ellis are well respected around the country. They are the new breed of athletic directors. Very connected, media savy and understand the power of social media. He doesn't know who the next coach will be but believes that they will find a good one for Minnesota. He said that it's hard to know if the new coach can make inroads with the big 3. Even thought they are juniors, now days that's late in the process and not much time to develop a relationship. He did say that Minnesota has some younger players that look awfully good as well that everyone is recruiting and that maybe a new coach will have better luck with. He hopes to win a few of t hose battles for his school.

I'm sure some will question the veracity of these statements and there is not much I can do about that but I thought that I'd pass along these comments for what it's worth .

 

[Gopher in Texas]

I have been a reader of this board for a number of years and consider myself a strong Gopher fan to the point where when my kids were born many years ago, they came home from the hospital in little Gopher outfits. However, I have never posted in all this time so what I am about to say could very well be viewed with a great deal of skepticism but it is completely accurate.

I am not an insider and don't know who is a legitimate candidate for coaching job. I would imagine that they are conducting this like any business would. Make the calls and see who is interested. One thing to remember though is that asking if you are interested in the job is not offering it. Many may have been asked about their interest but were they really offered.

With all that being said these are the things I do know about that are going on in the program. They come from an assistant coach who competes and recruits against the Gophers. I'm sorry, but I will not mention the school for obvious reasons. This coach also happens to be my godson.

He said that many coaches feel Tubby was let go for the following reasons.

1. The feeling in the program was that Tubby and his staff had lost control of the team and that they weren't responding to them any more. That there were numerous discipline and team rule issues and they weren't being addressed. Tubby was letting everything slide.

2. The program was not progressing at the rate people felt was necessary given the high profile and financial investment (salaries) that was made.

3. Recruiting was unacceptable. They had no chance at the big 3. All three of the recruits like Tubby and felt he was a true gentleman but were not impressed with him as a coach or the way he ran a program. My godson has recruited two of the three and had many conversations with them. He also did not make the final cut with either of them either. He would not say who he thought was in the drivers seat.

4. He also said that a key sophomore recruit that Minnesota has been recruiting, who has been mentioned on here, would not come if Tubby was still here. My godson is recruiting this players older brother.This guy is a hell of a player but his father told him that things were out of control at Minnesota and he would not allow his kid to be in a program like that.

5. He felt that Tubby still loved to coach but had lost his drive and become complacent. That his staff was one of the laziest staffs around and because of that they lost out on a lot of recruits by being out hustled.

He also said that Teague and Ellis are well respected around the country. They are the new breed of athletic directors. Very connected, media savy and understand the power of social media. He doesn't know who the next coach will be but believes that they will find a good one for Minnesota. He said that it's hard to know if the new coach can make inroads with the big 3. Even thought they are juniors, now days that's late in the process and not much time to develop a relationship. He did say that Minnesota has some younger players that look awfully good as well that everyone is recruiting and that maybe a new coach will have better luck with. He hopes to win a few of t hose battles for his school.

I'm sure some will question the veracity of these statements and there is not much I can do about that but I thought that I'd pass along these comments for what it's worth .

What's new with Pav?

 

[BleedGopher]

Thanks for sharing - interesting stuff.

Tubby did some nice things here, just not enough of them. We've moved on and I'm sure he will as well. It probably wouldn't hurt for him to take a year off and energize himself, but that's probably hard to do as well.

Here's hoping our next chapter is better than our last.

Go Gophers!!

 

[jamalo]

I have been a reader of this board for a number of years and consider myself a strong Gopher fan to the point where when my kids were born many years ago, they came home from the hospital in little Gopher outfits. However, I have never posted in all this time so what I am about to say could very well be viewed with a great deal of skepticism but it is completely accurate.

I am not an insider and don't know who is a legitimate candidate for coaching job. I would imagine that they are conducting this like any business would. Make the calls and see who is interested. One thing to remember though is that asking if you are interested in the job is not offering it. Many may have been asked about their interest but were they really offered.

With all that being said these are the things I do know about that are going on in the program. They come from an assistant coach who competes and recruits against the Gophers. I'm sorry, but I will not mention the school for obvious reasons. This coach also happens to be my godson.

He said that many coaches feel Tubby was let go for the following reasons.

1. The feeling in the program was that Tubby and his staff had lost control of the team and that they weren't responding to them any more. That there were numerous discipline and team rule issues and they weren't being addressed. Tubby was letting everything slide.

2. The program was not progressing at the rate people felt was necessary given the high profile and financial investment (salaries) that was made.

3. Recruiting was unacceptable. They had no chance at the big 3. All three of the recruits like Tubby and felt he was a true gentleman but were not impressed with him as a coach or the way he ran a program. My godson has recruited two of the three and had many conversations with them. He also did not make the final cut with either of them either. He would not say who he thought was in the drivers seat.

4. He also said that a key sophomore recruit that Minnesota has been recruiting, who has been mentioned on here, would not come if Tubby was still here. My godson is recruiting this players older brother.This guy is a hell of a player but his father told him that things were out of control at Minnesota and he would not allow his kid to be in a program like that.

5. He felt that Tubby still loved to coach but had lost his drive and become complacent. That his staff was one of the laziest staffs around and because of that they lost out on a lot of recruits by being out hustled.

He also said that Teague and Ellis are well respected around the country. They are the new breed of athletic directors. Very connected, media savy and understand the power of social media. He doesn't know who the next coach will be but believes that they will find a good one for Minnesota. He said that it's hard to know if the new coach can make inroads with the big 3. Even thought they are juniors, now days that's late in the process and not much time to develop a relationship. He did say that Minnesota has some younger players that look awfully good as well that everyone is recruiting and that maybe a new coach will have better luck with. He hopes to win a few of t hose battles for his school.

I'm sure some will question the veracity of these statements and there is not much I can do about that but I thought that I'd pass along these comments for what it's worth .

You'll probably get ripped by the Tubby administration plants, but I for one appreciate the insight that you shared

 

[46Gophers]

I have been a reader of this board for a number of years and consider myself a strong Gopher fan to the point where when my kids were born many years ago, they came home from the hospital in little Gopher outfits. However, I have never posted in all this time so what I am about to say could very well be viewed with a great deal of skepticism but it is completely accurate.

I am not an insider and don't know who is a legitimate candidate for coaching job. I would imagine that they are conducting this like any business would. Make the calls and see who is interested. One thing to remember though is that asking if you are interested in the job is not offering it. Many may have been asked about their interest but were they really offered.

With all that being said these are the things I do know about that are going on in the program. They come from an assistant coach who competes and recruits against the Gophers. I'm sorry, but I will not mention the school for obvious reasons. This coach also happens to be my godson.

He said that many coaches feel Tubby was let go for the following reasons.

1. The feeling in the program was that Tubby and his staff had lost control of the team and that they weren't responding to them any more. That there were numerous discipline and team rule issues and they weren't being addressed. Tubby was letting everything slide.

2. The program was not progressing at the rate people felt was necessary given the high profile and financial investment (salaries) that was made.

3. Recruiting was unacceptable. They had no chance at the big 3. All three of the recruits like Tubby and felt he was a true gentleman but were not impressed with him as a coach or the way he ran a program. My godson has recruited two of the three and had many conversations with them. He also did not make the final cut with either of them either. He would not say who he thought was in the drivers seat.

4. He also said that a key sophomore recruit that Minnesota has been recruiting, who has been mentioned on here, would not come if Tubby was still here. My godson is recruiting this players older brother.This guy is a hell of a player but his father told him that things were out of control at Minnesota and he would not allow his kid to be in a program like that.

5. He felt that Tubby still loved to coach but had lost his drive and become complacent. That his staff was one of the laziest staffs around and because of that they lost out on a lot of recruits by being out hustled.

He also said that Teague and Ellis are well respected around the country. They are the new breed of athletic directors. Very connected, media savy and understand the power of social media. He doesn't know who the next coach will be but believes that they will find a good one for Minnesota. He said that it's hard to know if the new coach can make inroads with the big 3. Even thought they are juniors, now days that's late in the process and not much time to develop a relationship. He did say that Minnesota has some younger players that look awfully good as well that everyone is recruiting and that maybe a new coach will have better luck with. He hopes to win a few of t hose battles for his school.

I'm sure some will question the veracity of these statements and there is not much I can do about that but I thought that I'd pass along these comments for what it's worth .

Excellent first post. I think it was plenty obvious to anyone watching that at the end of the season there was no fire with this team and no excitement about the future. Most felt this was the year for Tubby to show what he could do with a healthy team and were excited with the great start only to fade once they hit the conference schedule. His dismal record in February, dismal conference record, and players not growing during their time here were all reasons he was let go. I wish him well since he seems like a nice person but it was time.

 

[Governor Sibley]

I've never seen a group of kids having less fun!

Great post.

 

[Gopherbbdude]

I've never seen a group of kids having less fun!

Great post.

I have been a fan for many years and supported Tubby until about the 10th game of the B10 this year. I could not stand the lack of fun on the court. Sad indeed

 

[jstegs03]

It didn't help that every message board, and article was someone calling for Tubby's head.

 

[jamalo]

It didn't help that every message board, and article was someone calling for Tubby's head.

Yes, this message board totally influenced Teague!!

Let's all bury our heads in the sand; good by you, Jstegs?

 

[#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat]

It didn't help that every message board, and article was someone calling for Tubby's head.

All of that negative press just inspired me to try to defend Tubby even more. I tried hard, VERY hard. I held on and supported Tubby all the way through the BIG INDIANA WIN!!!!


Whoo hoo!!!


And then Tubby kicked me in the nuts. I predicted that we would use wins over PSU, Nebraska and Purdue to propel us into March with a winning streak and attitude.


Instead, Tubby followed up a huge win over a #1 rated team with TWO OF THE MOST EMBARRASSING losses ever in the Tubby era. They were far worse than the loss to NW. So they were by far the 2 worst losses of the season.

It was those 2 losses that were the last straw for me.


I had a feeling that I was fighting a losing battle weeks earlier, but continued the fight out of principle. But eventually I ran out of things I could use to defend Tubby.

 

[#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat]

All of that negative press just inspired me to try to defend Tubby even more. I tried hard, VERY hard. I held on and supported Tubby all the way through the BIG INDIANA WIN!!!!


Whoo hoo!!!


And then Tubby kicked me in the nuts. I predicted that we would use wins over PSU, Nebraska and Purdue to propel us into March with a winning streak and attitude.


Instead, Tubby followed up a huge win over a #1 rated team with TWO OF THE MOST EMBARRASSING losses ever in the Tubby era. They were far worse than the loss to NW. So they were by far the 2 worst losses of the season.

It was those 2 losses that were the last straw for me.


I had a feeling that I was fighting a losing battle weeks earlier, but continued the fight out of principle. But eventually I ran out of things I could use to defend Tubby.

And honestly, I was still in denial. The two losses to OSU and Iowa proceeding the IU win, were pretty embarrassing as well. I was basically holding my breath going into the IU game. Had we lost that game, I would have jumped on the fire Tubby bandwagon a few games earlier.

 

[Dr.Don]

I really don't think Tubby harmed the program. I think he just failed to grow and advance the program to what we expect and deserve. Once I came to accept that, I came to realize that is was just time to try again with a new, younger, and more effervescent coach.



It took Northwestern 13 years to realize what Minnesota realized in 6 years. This is the same analogy that USC and UCLA have had applied to them.

 

[drinks at Northpoint]

[

Instead, Tubby followed up a huge win over a #1 rated team with TWO OF THE MOST EMBARRASSING losses ever in the Tubby era. They were far worse than the loss to NW. So they were by far the 2 worst losses of the season.

It was those 2 losses that were the last straw for me.

I had a feeling that I was fighting a losing battle weeks earlier, but continued the fight out of principle. But eventually I ran out of things I could use to defend Tubby.[/QUOTE]

I have to include Iowa loss as most embarrassing

 

[Scoreboard]

I have been a reader of this board for a number of years and consider myself a strong Gopher fan to the point where when my kids were born many years ago, they came home from the hospital in little Gopher outfits. However, I have never posted in all this time so what I am about to say could very well be viewed with a great deal of skepticism but it is completely accurate.

I am not an insider and don't know who is a legitimate candidate for coaching job. I would imagine that they are conducting this like any business would. Make the calls and see who is interested. One thing to remember though is that asking if you are interested in the job is not offering it. Many may have been asked about their interest but were they really offered.

With all that being said these are the things I do know about that are going on in the program. They come from an assistant coach who competes and recruits against the Gophers. I'm sorry, but I will not mention the school for obvious reasons. This coach also happens to be my godson.

He said that many coaches feel Tubby was let go for the following reasons.

1. The feeling in the program was that Tubby and his staff had lost control of the team and that they weren't responding to them any more. That there were numerous discipline and team rule issues and they weren't being addressed. Tubby was letting everything slide.

2. The program was not progressing at the rate people felt was necessary given the high profile and financial investment (salaries) that was made.

3. Recruiting was unacceptable. They had no chance at the big 3. All three of the recruits like Tubby and felt he was a true gentleman but were not impressed with him as a coach or the way he ran a program. My godson has recruited two of the three and had many conversations with them. He also did not make the final cut with either of them either. He would not say who he thought was in the drivers seat.

4. He also said that a key sophomore recruit that Minnesota has been recruiting, who has been mentioned on here, would not come if Tubby was still here. My godson is recruiting this players older brother.This guy is a hell of a player but his father told him that things were out of control at Minnesota and he would not allow his kid to be in a program like that.

5. He felt that Tubby still loved to coach but had lost his drive and become complacent. That his staff was one of the laziest staffs around and because of that they lost out on a lot of recruits by being out hustled.

He also said that Teague and Ellis are well respected around the country. They are the new breed of athletic directors. Very connected, media savy and understand the power of social media. He doesn't know who the next coach will be but believes that they will find a good one for Minnesota. He said that it's hard to know if the new coach can make inroads with the big 3. Even thought they are juniors, now days that's late in the process and not much time to develop a relationship. He did say that Minnesota has some younger players that look awfully good as well that everyone is recruiting and that maybe a new coach will have better luck with. He hopes to win a few of t hose battles for his school.

I'm sure some will question the veracity of these statements and there is not much I can do about that but I thought that I'd pass along these comments for what it's worth .

Of course your godson would say negative things against Minnesota if he recruits against them. Take shots at the staff, their character, their players and future recruits. Talk about throwing people under the bus, your Minnesota? Who are you hoping to help, our Gophers? I dont believe a word because of your motives, your godson comes first, not some pjs you give your kids. Well played for your own selfish reasons. So easy to do anonymously. Bump, bump goes the bus.

 

[Becky Vadger]

I stayed with Tubby until the season was completely over.

I saw a lot of troubling signs along the way, but I kept hoping he and the team would pull it together and go on a surprisingly strong run through the tourney.

When they lost to UF in a game where they didn't really compete hard for about 30 of the 40 minutes, even I decided it was time to move on.

Love Tubby as a person and hope he does well at his next job, but I think this year was as good as it got for him here, and it wasn't all that good.

 

[bigticket1]

Of course your godson would say negative things against Minnesota if he recruits against them. Take shots at the staff, their character, their players and future recruits. Talk about throwing people under the bus, your Minnesota? Who are you hoping to help, our Gophers? I dont believe a word because of your motives, your godson comes first, not some pjs you give your kids. Well played for your own selfish reasons. So easy to do anonymously. Bump, bump goes the bus.

So why don't you tell us your real name , Mr.Internet Tough Guy ?

 

[Scoreboard]

So why don't you tell us your real name , Mr.Internet Tough Guy ?

Mr. Internet Tough Guy

 

[Dr.Don]

Stop the bickering. After all, nothing can be said on the internet if it isn't true.

 

[phipho]

Of course your godson would say negative things against Minnesota if he recruits against them. Take shots at the staff, their character, their players and future recruits. Talk about throwing people under the bus, your Minnesota? Who are you hoping to help, our Gophers? I dont believe a word because of your motives, your godson comes first, not some pjs you give your kids. Well played for your own selfish reasons. So easy to do anonymously. Bump, bump goes the bus.

Scoreboard i notice you're not posting by your real name either. Saul you sound a little cranky. Why don't you try taking a drive. I heard it can help calm the nerves.

 

[Scoreboard]

Stop the bickering. After all, nothing can be said on the internet if it isn't true.

I'll drink to that, but never drive.

 

[Scoreboard]

Why was Tubby let go? The product on the floor didn't represent Minnesotans. Tough, Successful, Integrity, Nice. THE END.

 

[Gold Vision]

I call BS on the out of control disciplinary actions. It has never been the staff's interest to allow that type of behavior go unpunished. This team is full of coach's kids and good character kids.

 

[disco]

I call BS on the out of control disciplinary actions. It has never been the staff's interest to allow that type of behavior go unpunished. This team is full of coach's kids and good character kids.

I disagree. Tubby and his staff looked like they had checked out months ago. If they appeared that way in game situations, it's not a stretch at all to think that they had done so in all aspects of the management of the program. I'm not saying that they were looking the other way while guys looted and pillaged, but based on the way the staff appeared to be going about their business, I can easily believe that they were ignoring team rules infractions.

 

[gophmeister]

The OP is full of stuff that gopher fans who pay attention already know. I like Tubby Smith and most everything I heard about him was positive. However, when adversity reared its ugly head things seemed to spiral out of control. From Jimmy Williams to Royce White to all the transfers it was easy to surmise that Tubby was in trouble the minute Teague stepped on campus. Maturi would never have fired Tubby this year. He might have had to fire him next year, but Maturi would have given him every chance since Tubby was the jewel in the crown of his tenure. In my honest opinion Tubby failed because Maturi ran a sh!tshow of a AD and set him up for failure. That is too bad and that made Teague be the bad guy, which is unfortunate. For this reason I believe who ever gets hired is going to see a ton of support from Teague and Co.

 

[Holy Man]

The OP is full of stuff that gopher fans who pay attention already know. I like Tubby Smith and most everything I heard about him was positive. However, when adversity reared its ugly head things seemed to spiral out of control. From Jimmy Williams to Royce White to all the transfers it was easy to surmise that Tubby was in trouble the minute Teague stepped on campus. Maturi would never have fired Tubby this year. He might have had to fire him next year, but Maturi would have given him every chance since Tubby was the jewel in the crown of his tenure. In my honest opinion Tubby failed because Maturi ran a sh!tshow of a AD and set him up for failure. That is too bad and that made Teague be the bad guy, which is unfortunate. For this reason I believe who ever gets hired is going to see a ton of support from Teague and Co.

Agreed that none of what was said in the OP needed a godson to be an inside source on. These are vague issues that almost any one of us could have come up with in casual following of the team. I would tend to side with the discipline issues if for no other reason than the product on the floor got so inconsistent that it begged asking the question about what was going on internally. At this point, I am pleased that the previous staff appeared to go out of their way to get good students and high character guys. That will make the transition that much easier for the new staff.

I am always supportive of our coaches and the mob mentality drives me nuts, but like probably most others on this board, the visible evidence was there to justify a change in leadership. Whether it helps or hurts remains to be seen, but the move needed to happen. For the record, it was the Nebraska game that was the last straw for me. Never yelled at a coach through the TV before that night.

 

[Sparlimb]

Stop the bickering. After all, nothing can be said on the internet if it isn't true.

I'm going to believe that to be true, seeing as I read it on the internet.

 

[calminnfan]

I have been a reader of this board for a number of years and consider myself a strong Gopher fan to the point where when my kids were born many years ago, they came home from the hospital in little Gopher outfits. However, I have never posted in all this time so what I am about to say could very well be viewed with a great deal of skepticism but it is completely accurate.

I am not an insider and don't know who is a legitimate candidate for coaching job. I would imagine that they are conducting this like any business would. Make the calls and see who is interested. One thing to remember though is that asking if you are interested in the job is not offering it. Many may have been asked about their interest but were they really offered.

With all that being said these are the things I do know about that are going on in the program. They come from an assistant coach who competes and recruits against the Gophers. I'm sorry, but I will not mention the school for obvious reasons. This coach also happens to be my godson.

He said that many coaches feel Tubby was let go for the following reasons.

1. The feeling in the program was that Tubby and his staff had lost control of the team and that they weren't responding to them any more. That there were numerous discipline and team rule issues and they weren't being addressed. Tubby was letting everything slide.

2. The program was not progressing at the rate people felt was necessary given the high profile and financial investment (salaries) that was made.

3. Recruiting was unacceptable. They had no chance at the big 3. All three of the recruits like Tubby and felt he was a true gentleman but were not impressed with him as a coach or the way he ran a program. My godson has recruited two of the three and had many conversations with them. He also did not make the final cut with either of them either. He would not say who he thought was in the drivers seat.

4. He also said that a key sophomore recruit that Minnesota has been recruiting, who has been mentioned on here, would not come if Tubby was still here. My godson is recruiting this players older brother.This guy is a hell of a player but his father told him that things were out of control at Minnesota and he would not allow his kid to be in a program like that.

5. He felt that Tubby still loved to coach but had lost his drive and become complacent. That his staff was one of the laziest staffs around and because of that they lost out on a lot of recruits by being out hustled.

He also said that Teague and Ellis are well respected around the country. They are the new breed of athletic directors. Very connected, media savy and understand the power of social media. He doesn't know who the next coach will be but believes that they will find a good one for Minnesota. He said that it's hard to know if the new coach can make inroads with the big 3. Even thought they are juniors, now days that's late in the process and not much time to develop a relationship. He did say that Minnesota has some younger players that look awfully good as well that everyone is recruiting and that maybe a new coach will have better luck with. He hopes to win a few of t hose battles for his school.

I'm sure some will question the veracity of these statements and there is not much I can do about that but I thought that I'd pass along these comments for what it's worth .

Actually think this is pretty spot on. Excellent 1st post.

 

[calminnfan]

I really don't think Tubby harmed the program. I think he just failed to grow and advance the program to what we expect and deserve. Once I came to accept that, I came to realize that is was just time to try again with a new, younger, and more effervescent coach.



It took Northwestern 13 years to realize what Minnesota realized in 6 years. This is the same analogy that USC and UCLA have had applied to them.

I think with all the conflict and adversity of his previous years, and then having to deal with his son's drinking it pretty well wore him out. Along with that he was not able to communicate with his players any more.