New University of Memphis head basketball coach Tubby Smith speaks during a press conference at FedExForum. Smith replaces Josh Pastner, who left last week for Georgia Tech. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)



By Jason Smith of The Commercial Appeal

Twice, the University of Memphis has fallen short in national championship games. On Thursday, it introduced a coach who’s reached the pinnacle of college basketball in former Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith.

“Today the University of Memphis has hired the most accomplished coach in our history,” U of M president David Rudd said in a press conference Thursday at FedExForum. “As we’ve mentioned in other hires, it is entirely about fit. It is about fit for our program, fit for our university and fit for this city. Tubby Smith is precisely the right coach at the right time for the University of Memphis.”

A three-time National Coach of the Year and the 2016 Big 12 Coach of the Year, Smith, 64, who won a national title at Kentucky in 1998, brings 25 years of Division 1 head coaching experience and one of the most respected names in college basketball.

Last Friday in Los Angeles, he received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching award at the College Basketball Awards ceremony. Seven days later, he had agreed to replace Josh Pastner as the 18th men’s basketball coach at Memphis, which will pay him $15.45 million over five years. Smith, who made $1.8 million at Texas Tech last year, will make $2.8 million this season, $2.9 million in 2017-18 and $3.25 million in the final three years.

The $2.8 million he’ll make this season would have ranked Smith among the 15 highest-paid coaches who made the NCAA tournament this year, according to a USA Today database. The $3.25 million he’s set to make over the last three years would rank him seventh on that list. Pastner was making $2.65 million annually at Memphis.

“We believe that we have found a coach that’s exceeded all of our expectations,” U of M athletic director Tom Bowen said. “He’s one of the best teachers in the game and I believe one of the most outstanding role models for young men that play Division 1 basketball. Coach Tubby Smith is also one of the most successful head coaches in Division 1.”

Radford assistant coach Ron Jirsa worked alongside Smith for 12 years at Virginia Commonwealth (where the two were assistants in 1984-85), Tulsa, Georgia and Minnesota. Jirsa said Smith’s coaching philosophy hinges on three elements — love, family and discipline — and Smith repeated those words during his news conference Thursday.

“I’m excited for Tubby. To me, he’s the top college basketball coach in the country,” Jirsa said. “Tubby Smith is a tireless worker. He loves the game, he loves coaching, he loves college athletics and he’s going to roll up his sleeves and do the very best he can wherever he is. I think we’ve all seen that in each one of his opportunities.”

Smith is one of two head coaches (with Lon Kruger) to have led five programs to the NCAA tournament. Last season, his Red Raiders won six games against top-50 RPI opponents. Memphis has won six over the last three years.

“You can’t debate or argue with his accomplishments. He is a Hall of Fame coach. He is a coach that’s not only won at places like Kentucky, but he’s won at Minnesota and Texas Tech — a program that hadn’t been to the NCAA tournament in a number of years,” said Methodist Le Bonheur senior vice president Cato Johnson, a member of the U of M search committee. “He’s an icon in the collegiate coaching profession.”



Former Tiger Bubba Luckett (1979-83), basketball coach at Christian Brothers High, said he’s excited about Smith’s hiring. Luckett, who coaches one of the city’s top 2017 prospects in 6-5 guard William Douglas, is among the local high school and AAU coaches Smith will need to reach out to if he’s going to lock down the area’s rich talent base. Though he’s not known as an elite recruiter, Smith will have all the talent he needs in his own backyard with an elite crop of prospects in 2018 and 2019.

“I think Tubby Smith is the kind of coach the University of Memphis right now needs,” Luckett said. “His experience, his success in previous places. He’s a proven winner. I think he has a great knack of relating to players, and the discipline that he will have and style of play I think is going to be something the fans will enjoy.”

Smith said he’s asked Pooh Williams, one of his assistants at Texas Tech, to join him at Memphis. Asked whether he would consider adding Tigers legend Penny Hardaway to the staff, Smith said, “I’m sure he’d be excellent. We’d love to talk to him.” Current Tigers assistant Keelon Lawson is expected to be back next season, with his player sons, K.J. and Dedric Lawson, both returning.

“I think he can handle (recruiting Memphis) if he puts some good assistants around him, because a lot of head coaches don’t handle (day-to-day recruiting),” said Team Thad program director Norton Hurd, whose top player, Jaylen Fisher, signed with UNLV over Memphis last fall. “I haven’t seen his style of play in a minute. Somebody told me it wasn’t up-tempo. I think Memphis should have an up-tempo program. But he’s a winner.

“I’ve been a fan of his from afar for a long time. I look at him as a top-20 coach in college basketball.”

One of seven active coaches with more than 500 wins (Smith’s career record is 557-276) and a national championship, Smith said the decision to leave Texas Tech was tough. Texas Tech made Smith a counteroffer Wednesday.

“It happened so quickly. Usually it’s a buildup. Somebody’s contacted you earlier,” said Smith, who guided Texas Tech to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007 last season. “I had no intention of leaving. I wasn’t looking for a job, coming off the season we had.

“But when you hear the University of Memphis Tigers, you know their tradition and their success and the opportunity.”