Believe it or Not, Most University of Kentucky Fans Truly Do Respect Coach Tubby Smith

Tubby Smith, the Adored Former Coach of the Kentucky Wildcats

In April of 2007, Coach Tubby Smith left his coaching position at the University of Kentucky for the money being offered for him to go coach the Minnesota Gophers. The pundits in the press, especially at ESPN, put a spin on the report that Tubby Smith was being forced out, when in actuality, Coach Tubby Smith left he University of Kentucky of his accord.

Being a die hard University of Kentucky Wildcat fan, I would admit to anyone that asks that there was a real truth emerging from the very vocal minority of fans, who had been consistently calling for Coach Smith to leave the program. With the mounting losses, recent poor NCAA tournament performances, and the sub par recruited talent that Coach Smith was bringing to Kentucky, many of the vocal anti-Smith fans were gaining a foothold of sorts in substantiating the reasons why Coach Smith should leave. However, the University of Kentucky administration and a great majority of the Wildcat faithful were not behind the thought process to request a termination of the coaching contract that Coach Smith had with the University of Kentucky.

Coach Tubby Smith earned the right to coach at the University of Kentucky while serving as an Assistant Coach at Kentucky under Coach Rick Pitino. From Pitino's tutelage, Coach Smith moved on to become a successful Head Coach at Tulane and then at the University of Georgia, where his coaching skills earned his teams consistent NCAA Tournament appearances. At the time of Rick Pitino's acceptance of the Boston Celtic Head Coaching position, Rick Pitino named his preferred successor to C. M. Newton and the University of Kentucky sought out and hired Coach Tubby Smith to guide the Big Blue.