Joel Maturi's goal when he began looking for a new men's basketball coach was to give the program "a shot in the arm." The University of Minnesota athletic director certainly accomplished that Thursday.
Instead of landing a hot, young coach, Maturi hired Tubby Smith, the current -- but embattled -- coach at traditional college basketball powerhouse Kentucky. Smith replaces Jim Molinari, the interim coach since Dan Monson was fired Nov. 30.
Smith, who arrived in the Twin Cities on Thursday afternoon, will be formally introduced today at noon at Williams Arena. He has agreed to a seven-year contract worth $1.7 million per season, plus incentives for both basketball and academic performance.
Smith won the 1998 national title and went to 10 straight NCAA tournaments at Kentucky, but was under pressure after failing to get to the Sweet 16 the past two seasons.
He left Kentucky with four years left on his contract.
"You always want to be wanted," Smith told the Lexington Herald Leader. "You know they have a need."
It's a move that brings instant credibility to a Gophers program that has been in a downward spiral for much of the past decade.
After reaching the 1997 Final Four, the program was gutted by an academic fraud scandal and virtually dropped off the map in the Twin Cities sports scene.
While Monson improved the off-court image of the program, he didn't have enough on-the-court success and accepted a buyout package seven games into this season.
In 16 years as a head coach, Smith has a record of 387-145 (.727) and entered this season with the 10th highest winning percentage among active coaches. Only Arizona coach Lute Olson has a longer streak of consecutive 20-win seasons than Smith's 14.
A strong defensive coach and motivator, Smith led the Wildcats to four Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA tournament, five Southeastern Conference titles and five SEC tournament titles in 10 years at Kentucky. Before arriving in Lexington, Smith -- who has never had a losing season -- reached the Sweet 16 at both Tulsa and Georgia.
"As soon as you say Tubby Smith ... it's a big name," Gophers guard Lawrence McKenzie said. "He brings a lot of respect and experience to our program.
"He definitely brings a lot of experience. He knows what it takes to win. He's won a national championship. We need that type of aura in our program."
Why Minnesota?
Why would Smith leave one of college basketball's blue bloods for a school that went 9-22 this season and finished ninth or worse in the Big Ten in three of the past four seasons?
For all of the success Smith had at Kentucky -- he reached 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments and never lost in the first round -- he was also routinely criticized.
His national title was dismissed by some because the team consisted of players recruited by former coach Rick Pitino. Smith was criticized for not returning to the Final Four since. He was panned for not landing the elite of the elite high school players.
"As much as he's done at Kentucky, it was never enough and it probably wouldn't be for anybody," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who serves with Smith on the board of directors of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. "It's no fun to live that way. Did it totally surprise me that he'd leave there? No.
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