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

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.

In short order, Coach Tubby Smith met great success at the University of Kentucky, when he inherited a piece-meal line-up of Coach Pitino players, who had displayed great talents invidually, but had tendencies in the past to be primarily role players. Under the tutelage of Coach Smith, who ever displayed that his coaching skills were exemplary, Coach Smith led this group of Pitino role players to the head of class, when they captured the NCAA Basketball Tournament Title in 1998. Coach Smith was able to find this success, because where Coach Pitino relied upon abundant individual player talent to win, Coach Smith was able to actually instruct players to be able to play the game of basketball with the God-given skills they possessed. While coach of the Kentucky Wildcats in 1998, Coach Smith demonstrated that he was able to coach, teach, and instruct good players how to be great by playing within themselves.

Unfortunately for Coach Smith, there is a perception in basketball that winning a lot of games is not the primary objective, unless titles are included in the mix. Therefore, Coach Tubby Smith's successful tenure as coach was seen to be not so successful, because he only supplied the UK Wildcat faithful one championship. While he was at Kentucky, Coach Smith averaged twenty-six (26) wins per season, which would be considered highly successful in any other setting. However, the UK Wildcat faithful are used to something different and something better, where winning was not always enough to the fans. Therefore, Coach Smith was derided by some, perhaps by many, because he did not provide the type of performance they wished to enjoy.

As such, I do believe that Coach Tubby Smith began to see the writing on the wall for him at Kentucky. When the first substantial offer made its way to Coach Smith's desk, Coach Smith chose the route of valor and made a character move for himself and his family. By choosing of his own accord to change his professional venue from Kentucky to a new coaching position, where he could once again be regularly inspired without the rant of critics challenging his ever decision, Coach Tubby Smith was given the opportunity to bow out gracefully from the challenging coaching confines at Rupp Arena.

However, if one were to challenge the reasons for Coach Smith's exit, the proof one might seek to substantiate the arguments made by the journalistic pundits at ESPN, one should review the comments and actions made by Coach Smith since his leaving. Coach Smith continues to this day to speak of the University of Kentucky with great awe and respect. Coach Smith refers to the University of Kentucky as his second home, a place that he holds dear to his heart, where many of his close personal friends reside. Recently, Coach Smith was questioned by a prospective University of Kentucky recruit's family about Coach Smith's opinion of the University's basketball program and Coach Smith gave Daniel Orton's father a glowing endorsement.

As such, it is high time that the journalistic pundits of ESPN and The Lexington HeraldLeader Newspaper let the unrest they created around the Kentucky basketball program since Coach Smith left to die down. We can all now move forward and stop reliving the past, because the University of Kentucky basketball team has a new coach and a new future, while the University of Minnesota and Coach Smith steer toward their own destiny. In turn, both schools will receive their own measure of success, as will Coach Smith and Coach Billy Clyde.