[Spartan4Life]

I think he does he was a very good coach, I wouldn't be surprised to see Minnesota with a very good team years to come.

[alfus21]

I think he does he was a very good coach, I wouldn't be surprised to see Minnesota with a very good team years to come.

They're at 3-0 right now and play a pretty good Florida State team tomorrow.

[#1ukfan]

NOOOO WAY!!!!!!! We just got rid of the guy. I don't want to have to look at his name when I go to a Uk game!

[RavenBoy]

**** No!!!!!!

[UKisN1]

Yes without a doubt.

[Braves_Fan_26]

Yes he deserves it. He is a great coach and and even better person. He was screwed over at UK by the stupid fans and the alumni. Although if I was him I would tell UK to stick all of Rupp arena and its fans up their ***. But as I said before he is too good of a person to do that.

[More Cowbell]

Yes he deserves it. He is a great coach and and even better person. He was screwed over at UK by the stupid fans and the alumni. Although if I was him I would tell UK to stick all of Rupp arena and its fans up their ***. But as I said before he is too good of a person to do that.

I finally agree with you on one thing, which is that Tubby should get a banner in Rupp. He brought us our 7th national title, and nothing can ever take that away from him.

But Tubby would have to be an idiot to tell UK to stick it. UK did just as much for him as he did for the school, making him into a household name, respected across the country. It was a privilege for him to be the coach at Kentucky, just as it was for Pitino before him and Gillispie afterward. I think Tubby knows he was extremely blessed to be the UK coach, which is why he would never do something disrespectful like that.

[Braves_Fan_26]

I know that, I said that in my post. He is too good of a person to do something like that. Hes a much better person than I would be about the situation. You and I both know he was run out of UK only to be replaced by a complete and total *******. Tubby deserves nothing but good things to happen to him and I hope he gets the banner in Rupp just for the dumb fans that wanted him out. I will admit I was one of the dumb ones but I have realized the error of my ways.

[More Cowbell]

I liked Tubby as the coach, and I do think he deserves the banner, but that doesn't change my belief that the time was right for a coaching change. Tubby simply got burned out and tired of dealing with all the pressure that comes with the job, and I think the split was good for both sides.

And I disagree with your feelings about the new coach. He is simply playing the hand he was dealt, and I believe he will get things back on the right track. You don't ever judge a coach based only on his first 6 games.

[Braves_Fan_26]

Well you think how you want and I will think how I want. This team has too much talent on it to be losing or barely winning games like they have been. Granted there are some major injury issues, thats still no reason to be losing to Gardner Webb and barely beating Stony Brook, and playing like he coached them against UNC yesterday. You should know yourself it was a joke not having Legion in the game more than he was and having Porter and Coury start.

[More Cowbell]

Of course they shouldn't have lost to Gardner-Webb, I think any dummy knows that. But Gillispie is hardly the first coach of an elite program to get upset by a lesser-known school, and he won't be the last. The same thing happened to Tubby a few times, and it happened to Pitino too. That's college basketball.

Again, I still say you can't judge a coach based just on his first 6 games. It's simply too early.

[BFritz]

Just like most everybody else says, Tubby deserves to have his name on a banner at Rupp. Even if he won with the players recruited by another coach, that does not diminish the accomplishment of winning a national title. To chalk the title up to "winning with Pitino's players" implies that Traitor Rick would've also won a title with that same group, which is something we will never know.

To not hang a banner for Tubby would place him on the same level as Eddie Sutton, as the only coaches not to have a banner hung. And Sutton did several things that Tubby did not, including failing to win a title or even go to a Final Four, leading UK to a losing record, and of course, getting Kentucky put on probation. Just because Tubby got burned out and let things slip the last couple years, does not cancel out the good accomplishments he achieved.

I get so sick of hearing that Tubby gets no credit for the championship because it was won with "Rick's players." That kind of thinking implies that any old Joe could've coached the team that year, just rolled the ball out on the floor, and sat back while the players won the title. Ridiculous. For all we know, Saint Rick might not have even won the title that year, we'll never know. He was too busy getting his can handed to him up in Boston. Furthermore, in my opinion it is even harder to walk in as a first-year coach and try to win with a bunch of players you don't know and who don't know you.

If you want to say that Tubby let the program slide the last couple years, go ahead, you're exactly right. It appeared that he got burned out and just didn't have it in him to keep UK at an elite level anymore. It was definitely the right time for a coaching change, and I believe Billy G. will get us back to the top of college basketball. But don't try to sweep aside the fact that Tubby won a national title, which should be enough to have his name in the rafters.

That is just flat wrong. I don't see how you could say that the '98 team was so good they would've won no matter who the coach was. For one thing, not only were they not favored to win the title that year, they weren't even a #1 seed in their region. And who were all the ultra-talented players on that team? Padgett? Mohammed? Jammal Magloire has probably had the best NBA career of anyone on that team, and he played a very minor role. No, that team was won with a bunch of good, not great role players, who played above their heads under a hungry first-year coach. If you really look closely at the roster, that team had no business winning a championship.

Again, if you want to disparage Tubby's recruiting or his lack of Final Four appearances, that's fine. But you can't discredit his winning a national title, especially with a team that was not the most talented team that year.

Exactly. If there was any team that could've won the title with anybody coaching, it was the '96 super-team. Which, to give the Traitor his credit, was due to Pitino's excellent recruiting.

First Take on ESPN was just talking about Tubby and said the exact quote "Tubby won with Pitino's players.

I guess they're getting paid close to a million dollars for knowing as little as I do.

[alfus21]

First Take on ESPN was just talking about Tubby and said the exact quote "Tubby won with Pitino's players.

I guess they're getting paid close to a million dollars for knowing as little as I do.

If you're taking Skip Bayless' words to heart you're absolutely clueless. Those guys aren't college basketball analysts or even considered experts at what they do, rather just "talking heads" meant to discuss and stir up controversy.

Funny though, Pitino couldn't win with them in 1997.

[kybaseball]

After a careful examination of what his records were and less than stellar record in the tournament after the title and the state of the program when he first took it over and how it was when he left I have to say NO!

[cougarpride08]

I think he should have his banner up there.

[kybaseball]

To the ones that say yes he should I am curious as to why? He won the championship his first year and never returned to the final 4 again. The program was top notch when he took it over and was barley making the field of 64+1 when he left.

[Aristotle]

The only thing Tubby ever actually accomplished was keeping the program out of trouble.

[More Cowbell]

First Take on ESPN was just talking about Tubby and said the exact quote "Tubby won with Pitino's players.

I guess they're getting paid close to a million dollars for knowing as little as I do.

Glad to see you went back and pulled up a thread that had been dormant for over a year just to disagree with me. But if my opinion differs with those of the so-called ESPN "experts", then that's just even more evidence that I'm right. Most of those guys are clueless.

Yes, Tubby won a title with Pitino's players. Many of the same players, I might add, that Pitino failed to win the title with the year before, even though that team also had Ron Mercer.

Tell me again, how many more national titles has Pitino won than Tubby has? I'm waiting... :eyeroll:

[EKY_Basketball]

Tubby won a championship with Rick's players, and every year since then the program has gone downhill.

To put him in the rafters would say "we're ok with no longer being an elite program."

If anybody would like to disagree, go ahead, but it's impossible to argue against.

Tubby did something at UK that only Rupp had done previously, an undefeated season in the SEC. I know people will say the 96 team went undefeated, but they lost in the tourney. Tubby truly ran the table. Sutton once said of his 17-1 mark in his first season, "this is a feat that we will never see again". To be able to put your name along side of Rupp as one of the two coaches to have ever accomplised this, is remarkable. Plus he did win a championship, people will argue about who recruited the talent, but it was Tubby who coached them, nobody can arguement that. Hang one for Tubby..........Go Big Blue

[devilhorns05]

Orlando Tubby Smith should have his name in the rafters at Rupp. People say that it was Pitinos players well Pitinos players was in Boston losing. Kentucky had to battle back in so many games during the tournament. You dont come back like that without good coaching, so that means it was Tubbys team. He also had good seasons and bad seasons after that but he did win a national title so put him up their.

[JOBAKKA]

Exactly. If there was any team that could've won the title with anybody coaching, it was the '96 super-team. Which, to give the Traitor his credit, was due to Pitino's excellent recruiting.

I disagree, its is Tubbys inability to recruit and perform that led Kentucky into medicority. He is the sole person who hurt the program with his performance. If they hang a banner in Rupp for Tubby I can see Rupps ghost tearing it down. he in no way deserve recognition for his career here. A steady decline, thank god he left or sackless Barnhart would still be giving excuses to keep him. Reward guys who build up Ky not tear it down. Not only that what about the cowardice he showed when he tucked his tail and ran into the night. Minnesota c'mon were talking Minnesota.

[cougarpride08]

Just think if he had Randolph Morris all the time. Imagine if he stayed as long as Joe Crawford, and Ramale Bradley. Imagine if rondo stayed one more year. He had talent, but they left early. I think if we had Morris the whole junior year, and I think if he would have stayed tubby would have stayed. That is just my opinion.

[theVILLE]

All coaches that have won a National Title for Kentucky Basketball have their names in the Rafters. Does Tubby deserve to have his name up there too?


IMO, I think that he does. Although he had some "bad" seasons toward the end, he did accomplish a lot with the 1998 Crown, 16-0 SEC regular season in 2003, 5 regular season SEC Championships and Tournament Championships, with 100 wins quicker than any coach other than Rupp. He was also named Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2005.

Well here is my Explaination.....Pitino Left him with an all star team...I could coach them players to a championship....lol.....and Players wanted to come to Uk unti about 05-06 and then he showed he wasnt a recruiter and Uk is here now.....so Pitino had them in the glory land and left and there at the Bottom now

[Stardust]

Tubby deserves to be there based on his accomplishments

[FBALL]

The fact that there is even a thread on this subject epitomizes everthing that is wrong with UK basketball fans.

[theVILLE]

Orlando Tubby Smith should have his name in the rafters at Rupp. People say that it was Pitinos players well Pitinos players was in Boston losing. Kentucky had to battle back in so many games during the tournament. You dont come back like that without good coaching, so that means it was Tubbys team. He also had good seasons and bad seasons after that but he did win a national title so put him up their.

Pitinos recruits... See in Boston in the NBA you dont coach you sit back and watch and hope they win...in college you coach actually try....and that is why he is succesful in the college and not pro....and by the way who recruited the players that tubby had that year...and another thing is that players or I should say top players wanted to come to Uk until 05-06 and then they were no longer interested...Uk had lost the style of ball and then it showed he couldnt recruit and players didnt like his style....Not saying he isnt a good Coach...He just cant recruit and I dont like the style of ball he played.....

[devilhorns05]

Pitinos recruits... See in Boston in the NBA you dont coach you sit back and watch and hope they win...in college you coach actually try....and that is why he is succesful in the college and not pro....and by the way who recruited the players that tubby had that year...and another thing is that players or I should say top players wanted to come to Uk until 05-06 and then they were no longer interested...Uk had lost the style of ball and then it showed he couldnt recruit and players didnt like his style....Not saying he isnt a good Coach...He just cant recruit and I dont like the style of ball he played.....

Yes everyone can agree Tubby slacked off in his last bit of years.

[theVILLE]

Yes everyone can agree Tubby slacked off in his last bit of years.

THANK YOU,:Clap:

[Colonel Kill]

I would say yes I think his numbers match up with the ones already in the rafter except final fours. I did not like his style or recruiting but I think he should be there. He did coach the 98 team to win the title. He had 7 players from the 97 team and 5 were from the 96 team. I think he won the title with Pititno's players but he did win the title. I don't think saying Pititno did not win in 97 so it was Tubbys coaching that won the title works for me. Pitino had a great player that did not play because of a torn acl and still only lost in OT. Tubby then went the rest of his UK career not making even a final four (longest drought in UK history) so I say the title is part of the Pitino era. However Tubby did win at UK. He averaged 26 wins per season and won 100 games faster than any other coach except Rupp. He had a 76% win percentage and was 263-83 at UK, won 5 season sec titles and 5 sec tourny titles, finished first or second in the sec 7 time in 10 years. He made 4 elite 8 and 6 sweet 16 apperances. His lack of recruiting over time showed in his 10 loss seasons (5) which totaled more than the others hanging in the rafters (Rupp-2, Joe B-4, Pitino-1) and decline in the last 2-3 seasons. But looking overall when compared to the ones already there I think he should be there.

This was tough for me because I would like to say he should not be there because I think because of his lack of recruiting skills he slowly dismantled UK as an elite program and left a team that struggled to make the ncaa. But for about a seven year time frame he did win games and sec titles just did not play for ncaa titles.

[More Cowbell]

Well here is my Explaination.....Pitino Left him with an all star team...I could coach them players to a championship....lol.....and Players wanted to come to Uk unti about 05-06 and then he showed he wasnt a recruiter and Uk is here now.....so Pitino had them in the glory land and left and there at the Bottom now

An All-Star team? That's nonsense.

If you look back at who was on that '98 team, they had no business winning a title. I remember there were at least 4-5 teams more talented than UK that year.

Seriously, look at who the main players were. Wayne Turner? Jeff Sheppard? Scott Padgett? Allen Edwards? Heshimu Evans? That is far from an all-star team. The most talented player on the team was probably Nazr Mohammed, and if he's the most talented, that tells you all you need to know right there.

If you want to use the "no coach needed" argument to discredit Tubby's national title, you'd definitely have to wipe out Pitino's '96 title. Now that was an all-star team if there ever was one.

No one is saying Tubby was a better recruiter than Pitino. Slick Rick has him beat there by a long shot. But the bottom line is Tubby took a collection of players in 1998, who based on their talent level shouldn't have even been in the Final Four, and won a national title with them. The credit for that goes to the head coach, and that's why he should have a banner in Rupp, no questions asked.