Ex-Minnesota Coach Tubby Smith (official thread)

[Jake]

Flip is 58 years old and hasn't been on a college campus in decades.

I think all the eggs are in the Shakka basket.

Whoever is named coach will need to build a relationship with a freakish instate 2014 class in Mn, poste haste.

Dan Monson bolted from Gonzaga for the Minny job after the Zags burst on the scene in the late 90s. Don't think guys like Brad Stevens, Mark Few and Shaka Smart aren't aware of how that worked out for him.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Minnesotans might be disappointed to hear this too.

Pete Thamel
@SIPeteThamel

Sorry, UCLA. VCU is working on an contract extension to keep Shaka Smart. Should have an agreement soon.

And surprisingly VCU is currently paying him pretty well too.

He signed his latest contract on June 29, 2012. The eight-year deal could pay him more than $1.36 million each year. His base pay is $450,000, but he also gets $700,000 in supplemental income.

His latest deal also includes a $10,000 clothing allowance and $25,000 a year for radio and television appearances. If his team wins the Atlantic-10 this season, he gets an extra $3,500. It's $5,000 bucks each time his team beats an ACC foe. If it's rival Old Dominion? Shaka gets an extra $2,000.

The fans can also increase Shaka's pay. If VCU sells more than 3,500 season tickets, Smart gets a $20,000 bonus. And if fans fill the seats at the Siegel Center, there's even more money headed coach's way. Meaning, if the Rams average more than 7,000 in home attendance- Smart makes an extra $20,000.

http://www.nbc12.com/story/19105162/12-investigates-shaka-smarts-13m-deal

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

And surprisingly VCU is currently paying him pretty well too.

He signed his latest contract on June 29, 2012. The eight-year deal could pay him more than $1.36 million each year. His base pay is $450,000, but he also gets $700,000 in supplemental income.

His latest deal also includes a $10,000 clothing allowance and $25,000 a year for radio and television appearances. If his team wins the Atlantic-10 this season, he gets an extra $3,500. It's $5,000 bucks each time his team beats an ACC foe. If it's rival Old Dominion? Shaka gets an extra $2,000.

The fans can also increase Shaka's pay. If VCU sells more than 3,500 season tickets, Smart gets a $20,000 bonus. And if fans fill the seats at the Siegel Center, there's even more money headed coach's way. Meaning, if the Rams average more than 7,000 in home attendance- Smart makes an extra $20,000.

http://www.nbc12.com/story/19105162/12-investigates-shaka-smarts-13m-deal

I'd love to look at VCU's books. Seriously, how the fuck can you pay a basketball coach that kind of money without any football and/or big conference television revenue. Pretty fucking irresponsible if you ask me.

 

[BayBuck]

I'd love to look at VCU's books. Seriously, how the [censored] can you pay a basketball coach that kind of money without any football and/or big conference television revenue. Pretty [censored]ing irresponsible if you ask me.

Hello, student fees!

VCU's overall university fee will increase $50 per full-time student for the 2011-12 school year, and the athletics department will receive a greater percentage of total fee revenue than it did in 2010-11, VCU spokeswoman Pam Lepley said Monday. The result, Lepley said, will be an $875,000 net revenue increase for athletics. Based on 2010-11 enrollment, that's an increase of roughly $30.50 for each full-time student.

...

Nearly two-thirds of the new fee money for athletics is targeted for improvements to men's basketball, including helping to fund salary increases for Smart and his staff, Lepley said.

...

Under state budget rules, Virginia's public colleges cannot use state money or tuition money for athletics. Over the past five years, 75% to 80% of VCU's athletics revenue has come from student fees, according to financial reports the school has filed with the NCAA. That rate of subsidy, whether from student fees, university or state funds, is near the median for Division I public schools without football, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

And now that A10 money is flowing for VCU too!

 

[LitlBuck]

I think if it just came down to money for Smart he wouldn't be going to Minnesota. Tubby was making close to $2 million per year. I don't know if I would want to leave the state of Virginia for that blast of cold arctic air that hits Minnesota.

 

[ScriptOhio]

More names:

Though Norwood Teague could have saved millions by relieving Tubby Smith of his duties a year earlier, he's at some peace with the decision. "Any time you spend money for buyouts it bothers me, as well, just like it bothers citizens of Minnesota," Teague said [Monday]. ... Coaches at the top of the search list would include Shaka Smart and Anthony Grant -- both of whom worked for Teague at VCU. Smart is still the coach at VCU, while Grant is the head coach now at Alabama. Brad Stevens, who took Butler to back-to-back NCAA title games, also has a good relationship with Teague. Buzz Williams (Marquette), Fred Hoiberg (Iowa State) and Jay Wright (Villanova) are other names to watch. Former Wolves coach Flip Saunders, a U of M alum, would also be a candidate.

Also:

The Gophers staff didn?t have an ace recruiter, nor does Smith have that reputation, and the program continually has missed out on major targets in recent years. The coaching change comes at a time when the state of Minnesota has an unusually strong junior class of top national recruits, led by point guard Tyus Jones of Apple Valley, who led his team to the Class 4A championship on Saturday.
Those close to the Big Three recruits ? Jones, DeLaSalle?s Reid Travis and Cooper?s Rashad Vaughn ? recently have said that the Gophers? late-season struggles under Smith had cooled the enthusiasm they had felt earlier in the season, when the team was winning more often. Minnesota is one of seven remaining schools that Jones has said he is considering. He learned about Smith?s departure early Monday afternoon and still IS letting it sink in.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/199883041.html

 

[ScriptOhio]

VCU's Shaka Smart turns down UCLA, signs contract extension

VCU's Shaka Smart, 35, is one of the hottest young coaches in the country, and has been linked to the UCLA and Minnesota jobs.

VCU head coach Shaka Smart has turned down an opportunity to join UCLA, informing the Bruins today that he'll be staying with the Rams, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Smart has let UCLA know he accepted a contract extension and will be staying in Richmond. VCU is expected to announce formally Smart's contract extension in the next 24 hours. The deal will go through 2023 and will pay him approximately $1.5 million per year, up from the $1.2 million he'd been making.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20130327/vcu-shaka-smart/#ixzz2On0xkfyI

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

OK, so if he's not going to UCLA, what is he waiting for? Waiting for Duke/UNC/Necktucky to open up? Self and Ladies Frames aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Is he going to be another Pederson and never leave his safe mid-major job?

 

[Mike80]

OK, so if he's not going to UCLA, what is he waiting for? Waiting for Duke/UNC/Necktucky to open up? Self and Ladies Frames aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Is he going to be another Pederson and never leave his safe mid-major job?

And the coach from Gonzaga who does the same thing....

I'd bet he's waiting on the Dook job.

 

[sepia5]

I acutally think Shaka wants to stay in the Beltway area but is waiting for something more high profile.
Wouldn't surprise me if he gets a serious look from Georgetown if they continue to stumble in the tournament.

Richmond is far from inside the beltway. In many respects, it's much closer to Charleston or Savannah than Arlington or Alexandria.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Minnesota baffles me...They will always be mediocre..The first thing I think of when I hear Minnesota isn't the Gophers....its scenes from Fargo.....It didn't work out that well during Glen Mason, so why fire Tubby..Who.ya gonna get whose better?

Point is Minnesota, NW, I don't care...You w..ill never be elite..Commend you for trying but no...I thought when they hired Smith wow nice hire...Not gonna change things but nice..Idk they have poor facilities and not much to offer..

 

[DZ83CK]

Minnesota baffles me...They will always be mediocre..The first thing I think of when I hear Minnesota isn't the Gophers....its scenes from Fargo.....It didn't work out that well during Glen Mason, so why fire Tubby..Who.ya gonna get whose better?

Point is Minnesota, NW, I don't care...You w..ill never be elite..Commend you for trying but no...I thought when they hired Smith wow nice hire...Not gonna change things but nice..Idk they have poor facilities and not much to offer..

Scenes from Fargo? Like the wood chipper scene? Minnesota is a place that it takes the right coach to win at, a guy like Bruce Pearl who could win just about anywhere. Otherwise you are going to be perpetually mediocre.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Agree but don't Pearl got a show cause penalty? Wood chipper scene was great! I just feel Tubby Smith was the most reputable coach they could expect there..Also Minnesota makes me remember Coach, the Craig T. Nelson series...

Ben Howland is a name I haven't heard mentioned...

 

[DZ83CK]

Yeah, Pearl has a show cause, so Minny can't hire him now. All the more reason to wait it out and give Tubby some more time to either prove his worth or build more of a case for being fired. Not sure who they could possibly hire to really turn things around there. Teague hired Smart at VCU, he needs to make this a really good hire or else he will look foolish for firing Smith and paying millions of buyout $ for continued mediocrity.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Agree with that too...anything publicly perceived as a hire not on par with Smith would be lauded..I would much rather be in UCLA position rather than Ninny but I think both will hire a Tier B coach...

I am really shocked they think they can score someone better than Tubby..He's not John Wooden but he isn't exactly a slouch either..