Author: art rogers
Here, Kitty, Kitty…
Thursday, March 22nd, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Head Basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, Tubby Smith, has resigned to take the vacant position at Minnesota. In Kentucky, it is all about basketball and the ‘Cats have struggled the last several years. Tubby did take them to one National Championship, but things have slowly declined.
Websites such as “Fire Tubby Smith” have called for the University to take action. Smith beat them to it. Smith was the first black coach at Kentucky and that was a milestone. He coached in an arena named for Adolph Rupp, said by many to have been quite prejudiced.
The real question for the Cats now is “what next?” Would they be interested in luring Rick Pitino back to Lexington? Both Pitino and Kentucky enjoyed great success together. If they would be willing, would Rick be interested? It is hard to go back to a place like that and live up to the expectations that would be waiting. Of course, many UK fans may never forgive Rick. Not for leaving Kentucky for the NBA, but for accepting a job at hated Louisville - and doing well there, to boot.
The basketball tradition at UK rivals any school in the nation… arch enemy Duke, NC, Kansas - even UCLA. The head coach for the UK men’s basketball team is more easily recognized, immortalized or vilified in the bluegrass state than the governor.
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March 22nd, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I understand KY’s obsession to win in B-ball. That is why I won’t dog them for running him out of town. The same should be for great football programs like Bama and OU. They expect to win and that is why even when they are down they come back.
March 22nd, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Nostalgia time … I grew up listening to the “Fabulous Five” and their undefeated season (1948, I think) on my little squawking radio. And by the time I got to UK, not as a student but as campus minister (1966-1971), Cliff Hagan was AD and trips to the NCAA were de rigeur. You could forget about scheduling church events on basketball nights.
Ah, my misspent youth … not only am I not postmodern, I am not sure I even made it up to modern!
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:44 pm
I was totally shocked when I read the headline earlier this evening that Tubby had left for Minnesota. I thought that he would stick it out, he’s a tough character and a first class guy.
I grew up listening to Cawood Ledford call the ball games on the radio. In Kentucky, UK basketball is it, period. In the mountains of southeastern Kentucky, UK basketball is it, exclamation point! Every birthday and Christmas was simply an exercise in unwrapping Kentucky Wildcats gear.
In my opinion, it is probably not very likely that UK will even consider Pitino. Furthermore, I don’t believe that he would even be interested in attempting to live up to his past successes in Lexington. However, if Billy Donovan at Florida is interested, the job is his for the taking - but I don’t expect that to be the case either. A former UK player, and now an up-and-coming coach, Travis Ford at UMass is a “possibility,” but is probably not “proven” enough for the UK faithful to seriously consider.
Personally, I think that the lead candidate will eventually be John Calipari at Memphis. He lead UMass to a Final Four and has since then done an excellent job at Memphis (now in the Elite Eight). Just as important, he is a terrific recruiter - which was probably Tubby’s downfall. Kentucky is a major step up from Memphis in every way - fan base, facilities, money, and a far stronger conference. Most Cat fans enjoy the up-tempo style of play (another thing that many of them disliked about Tubby), that Calipari subscribes to, because they don’t just want to win… they want to blow teams out of the gym…
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:34 am
I remember when Coach Tubby ran the Tulsa program. We had a heck of a team then. I was proud to see him move on to bigger and better things. Too bad he didn’t see as much success with the Wildcats as he did with the Golden Hurricane, but he’s got the ring, and the resume. He can probably coach anywhere he wants to, including Minnesota (brrrr).
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
10 seasons: 10 NCAA appearances: 1 National Championship
I know that the universities in my state of South Carolina would love a coach with a record like that.
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Just leave your grubby paws off of Billy Clyde Gillispie - I think A&M is going to have to moneywhip him to keep him, but around here we are hearing lots of rumors. He could actually turn A&M into a periennal national power in BBall if he will stick it out
March 24th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
When money talks, coaches walk!
March 24th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Dear Brother Art,
Unnanounced blog fast?!? Photoshop golf pictures?!? Basketball news?!? Where’s the SBC stuff? That’s it, I’m putting Marty back above you on my favorites list again.
Love,
Jeff
March 25th, 2007 at 8:19 am
ky needs to not look south for thier new coach. if they go after bruce pearl of tn, then a new feud will start.
david
March 28th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
It has been a mad house of rumors and gossip around the state as to who the next head coach of UK will be. The consensus now is the it will be Billy Donovan the curret head coach at Florida, and that John Pelphrey current coach at the University of South Alabama will be the associate head coach.
Of course the story line will change tomorrow……
March 28th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Joe,
Thanks for the update on UK’s “current situation.” Let us know tomorrow what is happening.
March 31st, 2007 at 10:37 am
Dick Vital actually got something right today.
I rarely agree with this guy - mostly I am just annoyed by him. He was annoying this morning as well, shouting over the top of everyone else.
Still, he was right about Billy Donovan. He said that moving to Kentucky would be a huge mistake. When you can win 26.8 games a year, 3 Elite Eights, Final Four and National Championship and people are putting for sale signs in your yard, ripping you in the media and on talk shows (Tubby Smith), then to leave the great situation in Florida that Donovan has where he is comfortable, supported and happy.
Being happy where you are is a hard thing to overrate.